I'm Just A Small Boy
by Alyssa Keserra
Summary: A misfired spell and suddenly Harry Potter is 6cm tall and in Draco Malfoy's pocket... HD, multichaptered
1. Attack On Privet Drive

Harry Potter looked at the piece of parchment in his hand again as he had been doing on and off for the past few hours until it had become so dark he could no longer see the words, not that it really mattered. He had memorised the words within 20 seconds of reading it.

'We'll be there. Be ready' was written in Lupin's steady script; short and sweet and the only message he had received over the summer. Well the only message of interest; Lupin had dropped by earlier in the summer when extra wards had been put up on the house with two pieces of charmed parchment, so that they could communicate with each other wherever they were, but so far all he'd managed to receive were 'How Are You? 's. It was probably some sort of security thing that they had a huge discussion about where things like coding charms and messenger mice were brought up; but they had settled on nothing. He looked down at his wristwatch for a few seconds wondering if he could make out the digits if he stared long enough, apparently not as he had to press the button for a backlight to see the time. 11:35; 25 minutes till freedom, til he became of age. It was now that he looked around his room for a last minute check to insure that he hadn't left anything behind; he was never coming back and the last thing he needed was to leave something important behind. He wondered who would be there to pick him up; just once person to whisk him away in the dark of the night or maybe an entire group of them armed and at the ready. Where would they be going he wondered; back to Grimmauld Place? Somewhere new? It didn't really matter; Harry wasn't planning to stay long anyway, long enough to… to… do… something? A flush of angered confusion hit him and he slammed his palms flat on the floor.

He looked up at the sound of multiple pops nearby and walked to the window and looked out. Order members of course, about 20 of them and as his watch now read 11:59 they were just on time. Grabbing his cloak, he picked up his shrunken luggage and pocketed it, OK, so it was underage magic, but he wasn't really planning on being found until Voldemort was dead and surely he'll be forgiven for it then. The sound of more pops caused him to backtrack to the window where he found himself rooted to the spot in horror because Privet Drive was now hosting a long line of sinister looking Death Eaters. 00:00; 'Happy Birthday Harry' he thought to himself as he watched one of the Death Eaters lift their wand; 'Crucio,' he didn't wait to see who had been hit, instead grabbing his wand and running down the stairs to the sound of a heart-wrenching scream.

"What is the meaning of this boy?" Uncle Vernon growled coming out of the living room and grasping his arm viciously followed by a terrified looking Petunia.

"Daddy, what's happening?" came Dudley's confused voice from the upstairs landing.

"Don't worry son, I'll handle it! Go back to-"

"NO!" Harry hissed suddenly; he'd completely forgotten about the Dursley's, but he was going to try and keep them as safe as possible. "No, Get Out!"

"Now look here boy. This is MY house and you have no right to-" Vernon was turning a shade of red that Harry could see even in the darkness, his voice was rising alarmingly fast and his hand feeling for the light switch.

"NO!" Harry hissed knocking the hand away and looking nervously over his shoulder at the door.

"Why are you so THICK! They'll kill you if you're seen! Get Out!" he spat ignoring the sound of the battle outside and shepherding the Dursley's out to the back. Vernon looked like he was going to say something back; but Petunia had stopped him and led her family out, she knew the danger.

"Run," Harry whispered, "and you've never heard the name Harry Potter before, ever. Change your names until I tell you otherwise. Be inconspicuous. Run."

Much to Harry's surprise, the Dursley's went docilely, apparently they had realised they were in danger. Pulling his invisibility cloak over himself he left through the back also realising that chances are it would be noticeable to both sides if the front door opened and no one came out. He wondered about the other muggles in the neighbourhood but knew that he could do nothing for them and just hoped they had the good sense to stay away. Following the outside wall to the front, Harry could hear the fighting getting louder. He stalked up to the closest Death Eater and stupefied him from behind much to Lupin's momentary surprise before he suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Harry by the arm and hissed "stay safe" somewhere in his hair. Harry reached out and squeezed Lupin's other arm in confirmation before Lupin suddenly fell to the floor screaming in pain under a crucio. Harry turned to face the attacker, unable to recognise who it was with the mask on and began to raise his wand wondering what spell to use, then stared in surprise as the Death Eater went down… at the wand of another discreet Death Eater. Why would a Death Eater be willing to take down one of their own unless-

"SNAPE! The wards!"

Harry felt his heart stop. Snape was here, Snape the backstabbing traitor was HERE. However when the Death Eater he had just been examining turned to the voice Harry's world froze. That was just- well it was just- huh? Snape? Harry found himself watching as Snape went over to the house; then a rush of tingly magic ran over him before the wards on Privet Drive fell, and Snape was the first to go charging in.


	2. Meeting In A Graveyard

Authors Notes: OK... so its a bit rushed I feel and maybe not as crystal clear as it could be... but I rather like this chapter... it's rather cute. (thinks I). Anyway. Please, pelase,please, review. Tell me hopw to fix it. Tell me to stop. Tell me to continue. Tell me you want Draco to die from Crucio overdose. ANYTHING!

_'Crucio'_

_'Impedimenta'_

_'Stupefy'_

_'Decresco'_

_'Finite Incantem'_

He didn't see the spell or the spell caster until it hit him, but he felt it suddenly fill his body, sliding under his skin and before he knew it he was being tossed into the air, his cloak being pulled by the wind causing him to clutch at it. He grabbed onto the only thing he could see with his wand hand, and found himself hanging miles away from the ground with his hand closed around a soft smooth material.

He lifted his right hand to put the cloak between his teeth, than slid his wand into his pocket and swung the hand up to cling on. Taking a deep breath he pulled himself up and tried to climb on to whatever it was he was hanging onto, only to find himself tumbling over the other side of whatever it was he was holding on to. Trying to fight his terror he looked around to establish where he was, and how far the drop was before he fell into a dark abyss as the world began to move. He landed on a soft 'thing' with his cloak still firmly between his teeth. Clasping it around his neck, he pulled out his wand and nervously cast a quiet lumos.

Looking around he found himself in a big black soft 'thing' with a sliver of night sky at the top. He could still hear the battle going on around him, though slightly muffled by his prison, however he realised he couldn't have gone very far. Tentatively holding a hand against one side he stepped forward holding his wand high, then immediately tripping as he realised that the ground wasn't very stable at all. He looked up from the floor to find himself faced by a huge wall of cardboard. Standing up shakily using the box to steady him, he followed the board around and found himself looking at the words 'Chocolate frog' in lettering bigger than his hand.

He found himself staring at the box in horror… this was a joke right? Wrong he realised as he recognised that he was in a pocket. The question of course was whether said pocket belonged to friend or foe.

"The house is empty!"

"Where are the muggles?"

"Where's Potter?"

"HARRY!"

Apparently it was chaos outside while he was safely or not-so-safely in a pocket. Not wanting to stay put, Harry began to look around for a clue of identity, after all, frogs were common, surely even Death Eaters ate them. Seeing a scroll of parchment he pushed it open and tried to hold it open as he read it, but then immediately let go as he saw the first few words causing himself to end up wrapped up in a piece of parchment. He looked around, finding himself enclosed on all sides by a painfully familiar script, but more painful were the words written on it.

_'I am a Malfoy. Malfoy's do not bow to anyone. I will protect my mother. I am a Malfoy.'_

The words looped around him again and again making him dizzy and slightly claustrophobic. He felt his eyes flutter shut as he collapsed against the parchment feeling horror rush through him. With all the adrenaline gone, Harry just wanted to crawl into a bed and sleep. And maybe cry a bit. And then maybe some food. And then some more sleep.

He felt the uncomfortable shifting of a side-along apparition, exactly the same as the last time it had happened with Dumbledore. Dumbledore. Carefully, Harry pulled out his belongings from his pocket and looked around for his Firebolt, before increasing it to his size and getting on. Not wanting to leave the safety… if that's what you could call it, of the pocket he hovered just under the rim and peeked out. He was in a graveyard, typical. The Death Eaters were in a circle; with Voldemort standing imperiously at one end surveying them disdainfully. It _should_ have been intimidating, but the truth of the matter was that Malfoy could have done it better. Malfoy Snr. Or Jnr. Both of them. Either of them. Whatever. Voldemort just looked like a mad 'thing'… that just so happened to be horrifically ugly.

"WHERE IS THE BOY?" Voldemort shouted, his eyes were flaming red and the air around him crackled in his anger sending shooting sparks of pain to Harry's scar, so that he was almost sent tumbling from his broom. "WELL? ANSWER ME YOU FOOLS!"

One of the Death Eaters shuffled slightly and a thick unrecognisable voice said "He wasn't there, Master."

"Wasn't there? _Wasn't there?_ Is this true Severus?" he silkily asked the Death Eater on his right, where Lucius Malfoy usually stood.

"Yes Master, the boy was not in the house and neither were the muggles," Snape answered in an oily voice that made Harry cringe despite everything, Snape was obviously not made to serve _anyone._

"_Why_ did we not know of this before? You have failed me."

"Forgive me master, I am no longer able to spy on the light side since the death of Dumbledore and I knew nothing of this."

Harry felt Malfoy stiffen even more, and he could feel the tension leaking out of the body to him via the robe. He took a steep dive as he saw Malfoy's hands slide fall to his side, thinking they were coming into the pocket. When he realised that he was still alone in the pocket, he ventured back up to the brink and peered downwards where Malfoy's pale hand was clenched tightly in to a fist.

"Ah, Young Malfoy." The cold voice burned into Harry's skin like a harsh whip and he backed away from the advancing figure, but what hit him the most was the effect on Malfoy. He hadn't even flinched as the anger had now focused on him, if anything he had stood a bit taller and tilted his chin upwards. A sudden rush of pride flooded through Harry as he realised that Malfoy wasn't going to back down from this, the cowardly 11 year old who ran from this same monster in the forest now replaced by this foreign person facing Voldemort in the dark of night in a graveyard.

"Yes Master?" Malfoy answered clearly, his voice strong and unwavering despite the submission in the words.

"You have caused me much trouble Young Malfoy, you and your entire family have. I often wonder whether its worth keeping you alive," Voldemort's voice was now very quiet as he came closer, making Harry hide lower in the pocket not wanting Voldemort to sense his presence. He could only assume he hadn't already been detected because of his small size, but he didn't really want to change that at this moment in time.

"So beautiful." Voldemort was muttering as soon as he'd pulled off the mask, running a long spindly finger across Malfoy's high cheekbones in an almost caress like action making Malfoy's lips begin to curl into a haughty sneer and Harry to growl quietly in a possessive gesture. No one, but no one was allowed to taunt Malfoy except him. Voldemort's face split into a cruel smile as he suddenly back-handed Malfoy's face, making the blonde flinch just slightly.

_'Crucio'_


	3. Welcome To Malfoy Manor

A/N: Ok this is very not-uplifting for a new fic-writer and I can't help wondering if I should stop seeing as I'm getting about 2.5 reviews a chapter... yay... cheers Caltha, reviewed twice ) you rock

He felt Malfoy topple to the floor with a violent scream, and wondered if he was going to get squashed as the space in the pocket shrank and he found himself having trouble breathing. He curled up into a ball, closing his eyes and covering his ears trying to block out Malfoy's screams of pain, his heart going out to his ex-nemesis. After what could have been 2 minutes or 2 seconds, the shaking stopped and all Harry could hear was Malfoy's harsh breathing. Maybe everyone else had gone and it was just him and Malfoy left in the graveyard.

Slowly uncurling himself, he stood up and began to make his way towards the light where he could see huge blades of grass casting shadows on each other. Malfoy must still be lying on the floor he realised and he couldn't help but wonder how badly hurt the boy was. Slowly inching closer to the edge of the pocket, he stopped dead still at the sound of Malfoy's hissing groan before he found himself falling back into the pocket as Malfoy must have righted himself and stood up slightly shakily. He heard the sharp hiss of pain as Malfoy tried to straighten up and couldn't help but wonder if Malfoy was crying until the sound of a quiet pop made his guard come up almost as fast as Malfoy's suddenly had.

"Let me take you back, your mother will be worried." Snape. There was no question about it, he didn't sound even the slightest bothered though.

"No _Thank You_, Professor, I don't require your help" 'WAHEY!' Harry cheered in his head already feeling a strange sense of camaraderie with the boy; 'Go Malfoy! Tell him where to stick it! Go on!'

"I'll have you recall Mr. Malfoy, that I am no longer your Professor."

"No. You're not are you? You're nothing more than a fellow eater of death" Malfoy sneered before apparating away.

-----

Climbing back onto his Firebolt, Harry flew back up to the top of Malfoy's pocket to peek out again and almost fell off in shock at what he saw. _'Merlin's Yellow and Green stripy socks! This _is Malfoy Manor? THIS? No _wonde_r Malfoy's like he is. It's bigger than Buckingham Palace!' he thought as he openly stared at the absolutely enormous mansion in front of him. Lush green lawns, perfectly groomed gardens, and the largest most magnificent white building he had ever seen. Ironic that it was white though considering their association with the dark arts.

However Malfoy made no attempt to go towards the house, in stead veering to the left, onto an immaculate sand-like pathway that went through a wall of trees to a small secluded garden. Harry couldn't help but feel horribly out of place in the immaculate garden where Malfoy fit in like a leaf on a tree. The air was cool despite the fact it was the end of July and a soft breeze lingered carrying the fresh smell of grass to his nose. He wondered what had happened at Privet Drive, they'd be worried about him and here he was, on Malfoy property not even 7cm in height. What would they be doing to find him? Would they even find him?

Malfoy slipped of his robe quickly with a soft sigh and spread it out on the grass before he sat on a step leading upwards to another part of the garden that Harry couldn't see. Lying flat on his stomach, Harry watched warily as Malfoy pulled off his shirt and couldn't help the gasp that fell from his lips as he saw Malfoy's chest. Malfoy stilled and cocked his head at the quiet sound and Harry swallowed nervously realising he really wasn't far from being caught. Deciding there was nothing there, Malfoy looked down and ran his hand carefully down one of the cuts before shuddering and picking up his wand and casting a quick 'Scourgify' and Harry could see they were not fresh wounds, merely wounds opened by the Crucio, but that didn't prevent the horror that came over him as he saw the number of cuts and scars. He could see that they were not the Sectumsempra scars; they were newer, deeper and redder, but that didn't stop the shameful feeling of guilt as he remembered cursing the crying boy.

He watched as Malfoy cast a few healing charms over his wounds effectively sealing them up before pulling his shirt back over his head. Malfoy's slim hands were beginning to shake and Harry realised that he was at the end of his energy reserves and needed rest, though probably not sprawled out in a bloody t-shirt in the gardens effectively marring the perfection. Malfoy closed his eyes and pressed his hands down into the stone as if though it would make the shaking stop, his face tilted upwards and the moonlight catching at his hair and casting dark shadows across his fair skin. Taking in a few shaky breaths, Malfoy picked up his wand again and tried to clean up his t-shirt and robes, but the wand fell from his fingers almost as soon as he tried. Accepting his defeat, Malfoy picked up his wand again and put it in his pocket before pulling the robes back on and making his way out of the garden.

Malfoy walked calmly if not a little slowly up the path towards the house, pausing to rinse his hand in a fountain en route as he realised there were smudged blood stains on it. Harry found his attention once again distracted by the home of his enemy, reflecting moonlight almost back at the moon, causing it to almost shimmer in the moonlight. Malfoy paused at the door again to catch his breath that had been sounding increasingly ragged on the journey upwards. Pressing his lips into a tight line he pushed the front door open and stepped into the dark foyer of his home, glad to find it devoid of life.

"Draco?" Or so he had thought...


	4. Narcissa and Isillia

A/N: REVIEW! REVIEW!

-----

"Mother? Why are you still awake?" Draco hadn't expected her to be there, sitting on the stairs like a Hufflepuff waiting for him and the mask slipped.

"I was worried about you." He stiffened to stop himself throwing himself at his mother and sobbing out like a fool, instead trying to recreate a memory of his father's aloofness so he could try and emulate it.

"Well you shouldn't be, I can look after myself." Ok, so it wasn't Lucius, but it was pretty damn good he thought before realising it can't have worked as his mother was now gliding towards him like a ghost floating across the room. He could see her coming to hug him and he immediately pulled away, it wouldn't do for his mother to-

"Don't touch me," he hissed, the disdain coming easily now as he tried to walk around his mother so he could just get back to his room and collapse, but then her hand shot out quicker than Potter's when he caught the snitch and pressed flat against the front of his robes.

"NO!" he almost yelled, but of course it was too late and his mother lifted her hand from his chest and looked at it, raising it to the light before letting her tear-filled eyes rest on his face.

"Draco…" her voice was almost a whisper, and he wanted to do nothing more than comfort her, but he knew that the transfer from his robes to her white dressing gown would terrify her no end.

"I'll be fine Mother. Go to sleep." Harsh and curt, but he really didn't want to have a hysterical mother on his hands. He stepped around her and strode firmly up the stairs before collapsing on the first landing just out of sight. Had he looked back he would have seen his mother resume her position on the stairs looking at the door, her blood stained hand hanging in front of her.

-----

"Isillia?" Draco called as soon as he entered his room; "Isillia, I'm home!" Harry was intrigued, who was Isillia? Did Malfoy have a girlfriend? Boy did he not want to see this…

"Oh! There you are gorgeous! How are you today?"

_'Master, I am well; How was the raid?'_

"Potter wasn't there, got away before we could get him. Lucky bastard."

_'You are hurt master'_

"Old wounds opening up, that's all, nothing important"

_'I can taste your blood on the air, you are weak'_

"I should-" Malfoy broke off and yawned quietly "mmmmmmmm? Shower and sleep but sleep more hmph" Malfoy sagged and once again pulled the robe off leaving Harry hovering on his broomstick just under the lip of the pocket. "Maybe I'll just sleep, because I'm tired… but Merlin! I'm so dirty, how can you sleep when you're dirty? And… I don't know what to do… tell me what to do Isillia please"

_'Master, use a spell and sleep, than you can bathe when the sun is in the sky'_

"Argh" Draco muttered softly, stretching out a hand; "give us a kiss babe and then I'll decide." Harry watched in wonder as an adder wrapped itself around Malfoy's arm, then slid up his neck before its forked tongue slipped out and fluttered against the pale cheek. He found himself strangely entranced, by the scene and he flushed hotly as he realised how much it was turning him on. Looking away in embarrassment, he picked up his broom and flew out of the pocket while the other two were distracted; just in time aswell seeing as a house elf apparated in just then to take the robe.

He realised that Malfoy couldn't actually understand what the snake was saying and was merely going through the motions of having a conversation and sniggered to himself. At the sound of a harsh unhappy laugh, he looked up to see Malfoy sitting on his bed with the snake curled up next to him holding out his hands that were shaking violently.

"One day, 'sillia, it's not going to stop." Malfoy's voice was horribly defeatist and made Harry sick to his stomach as he realised that any amount of hate had immediately converted to pity after the crucio.

"Too much crucio is not good for the skin, Isillia; remember that," he said before disappearing into what Harry assumed was his bathroom. Carefully he shrunk his Firebolt again, placing it in his pocket before deciding to take on the obstacle course from the chair to the cover of under the bed. Looking around carefully and finding himself unable to see either Malfoy or the snake; he ran full out across the room as quickly as possible, collapsing on the floor underneath the bed as soon as he reached it. He checked warily for any evil creatures as he pulled himself upright, but found it all scandalously clean with a few shallow boxes that Harry could see contained a few magazines, old text books and unused junk.

_'Who are you?'_ he turned sharply in surprise at the voice to find himself face to face with Draco Malfoy's pet snake.


	5. Malfoy Hates Me

Clutching his wand a little tighter, he ran through all the spells he knew wondering which ones would be effective on a snake that huge.

_"I am Harry Potter_" he answered to the Snakes surprise

_'You ssspeak'_

_"I do"_

_'What are you doing here?_

_"I don't know?"_

_'How can you not know?_

_"Are you going to eat me?"_

_'No, should I?'_

_"No"_

_'Where will you go?'_

_"I don't know"_

_'Why not?'_

_"Don't tell Malfoy"_

_'Why?'_

_"He hates me."_

_'No he does not, you are his Potter. Come with me'_ she slithered away with Harry trailing behind her slowly, careful to crouch in her shadow in case Malfoy suddenly came back. They ended up going through a small passageway, that he might have just about fit through when he was normal sized in to a rather large room that seemed to be split into two parts, one was foliage and the other was sand. Malfoy Manor, full of surprises.

_'You stay here' _she hissed indicating the sand with her tail, _'I will bring food'_ she said slithering away in to the greenery. Harry couldn't help but wonder if food meant rats or mice or whatever it was snakes ate. Laying back on the sand he let his eyes close as fatigue washed over him, absently wondering where the dim light was coming from, before he fell into the open arms of darkness.

-----

Harry slowly opened his eyes when he felt the sun beginning to warm his skin, looking around he realised he was still in the same position as yesterday and consequently… whatever it was that was lighting and heating him could not be the sun. However, looking up it really did appear to be a sun in the sky but he was in a wizarding house/mansion and seeing as it was the Malfoys, he figured

anything was possible.

_'You are awake little one'_

He looked towards the noise to see the snake slithering out of the shrubbery into the sand with something hovering in the air besides her.

_'Eat' _she hissed winding herself around him in a large loop that made his heart beat faster as he wondered how trusting he could be to be eating what Malfoy's snake was feeding him, as she coiled around him, easily able to squeeze him to death.

_'Eat'_ she insisted floating what he could now see was a rather large piece of bread with a splattering of butter towards him. He marvelled at the fact that he would probably be full up on what would be ridiculously insubstantial at full size. Breaking a piece off, he ate it quickly relishing in the taste of food. He hadn't eaten since breakfast the day before with the Dursley's; a slice of grapefruit… Dudley was dieting again.

_"Malfoy hates me_" he said suddenly looking up at the snake.

_'Indeed'_

_"Indeed? What does that mean?"_

_'It matters not. You will save them all will you not?'_

_"Well I… I… it's my birthday today,"_ He said suddenly remembering he was now of age and he should be somewhere safe with his friends celebrating. Maybe preparing for his apparition test. He didn't want to be here. Not at all. In a strange house, with no way out, smaller than a HB pencil and completely defenceless with only a snake for company.

_'What is a birthday?'_ he was broken out of his reverie by the question and he sighed heavily realising his birthday was the least of his priorities.

_"Nothing… doesn't matter"_

_'You smell,' _she hissed her forked tongue flitting out and apparently tasting the air.

_"Thanks"_


	6. You Have Nothing I Want

He found himself warily walking with Isillia into the 'woodland' nervously making sure to keep close to her head where he knew he was safer than at her tail.

_"Where are you taking me?"_

_'To clean up, little one. Surely you do not enjoy being dirty.'_

_"Well… no… but I mean… where are we going?"_

_'You'll see'_ she hissed mysteriously before ignoring him for the rest of the journey as they went past strange magical species of plant that he had never seen before, even at the Weasley's or Grimmauld Place… not that the garden there was really worth mentioning at all. He was glad he didn't have to go back to Grimmauld Place even if Malfoy Manor was the substitute, despite its darkness every inch of that house had screamed Sirius and the loss still burned him.

The sound of rushing water brought him back to the present and he looked around to see where the sound was coming from. He stumbled realising that the ground had changed from soil to what he could only assume was marble… not that he'd had much experience with marble flooring himself.

_'Clumsy child'_ Isillia hissed in amusement before circling back behind him and pushing him forwards towards the sound of water. Harry found himself looking at what appeared to be a wall of sheer marble and looked back around at Isillia in confusion only to find her doing the adder equivalent of laughing at him.

_'Follow the wall' _she said before taking her own advice and following it around to a lake that could rival the Hogwarts one… well at least from this size it could. In actual fact it was only about five metres in diameter and maybe 30cm deep, but to Harry it was an intimidating mass of water.

_"I can't go in there! I'll drown!"_ he said in horror looking at the tiny waves as they hit the side and the thundering water that fell from above the wall, that he could see wasn't really a wall but a circular fountain like structure with one side open to allow the water to fall into the lake in a thunderous waterfall.

_'Don't be silly. No you won't. Go that way.' _she said shortly pointing with her tail to further around the lake away from the waterfall. He left her curled up by the waters edge basking in the sun as he made his way around to the calmer side of the water. He carefully took off his trainers and socks some way away from the waters edge, then looked back over at Isillia and blushed furiously; was he going to strip in front of the snake?

Almost as if she knew he was thinking of her she lifted her head slowly and looked in his direction, 'You boys are such prudes,' she said before turning away again and settling back down. He carefully stripped off warily looking over at Isillia despite the fact that he doubted the snake had ever had any thoughts about cross-species mating… yuk. Walking tentatively to the edge of the marble he sat down and swung his legs over the edge so that they were submerged in the cool water. Come to think of it lake probably wasn't the best word for it seeing as it was more of a swimming pool, but whatever. Taking a deep breath and bracing himself he slid all of the way in making sure to keep one hand on the marble so he wouldn't just go under and never see the light of day again.

A moment later he realised he was being exceptionally silly and grabbed his wand to cast a bubble-head charm on himself and then transfiguring a stray leaf into a slim bar of soap that smelled of… that smelled of nothing actually and probably didn't work much either but it was definitely the thought that counts. Smiling contentedly he let himself sink to the bottom with a bit of help from his kicking hands and legs and began to wash despite the fact that the soap had almost disappeared having been dissolving all this time. In all honesty it didn't matter much, he felt cleaner than he had in ages with cold water surrounding him and nothing in his head. Voldemort seemed to be less than a speck in the distance and everything seemed so peaceful and calm here, like he could live here forever.

He began to swim away from the edge to nearer where he had last seen Isillia and let his mind wander, she had said 'you boys are such prudes' did that mean Malfoy didn't like her to see him naked either? How strange. Harry had always thought of Malfoy as a bit of an exhibitionist… 'no, no, stop thinking that' he told himself at the images his mind began to supply with that thought.

"Harry James Potter," he said aloud in his bubble, "you have gone mad. You're not even gay. You HATE Draco Malfoy. You are madly in love with Ginny Weasley". He had said that last one over and over in his head over the summer to convince himself and even now he could feel it faltering. He wasn't in love with Ginny Weasley. He didn't hate Draco Malfoy. He might well be gay if the paperboy was anything to go by and he really didn't think he was mad.

Swimming back up to the surface he realised he had swum a lot further than he had initially thought and was actually rather uncomfortably close to the waterfall, not that it should bother him so much now that he had his bubblehead charm. Looking back to where Isillia was, he went back down and swam over to her.

_'You children waste much time frolicking in water' _she said not even looking at him as he came up beside her and leaned against the edge of the pool…'thing'. He grinned at her immediately, recognising the almost hidden comment in her statement.

_"Malfoy frolics."_ it wasn't a question.

She seemed to sniff disdainfully and looked down on him _'Of course not, Malfoy's don't frolic.'_

Unable to help himself he laughed outright realising he couldn't actually imagine it_. "Oh? So what other children do you know to frolic in water?'_

_'You are too nosy.'_ She hissed going very still and giving him a look that said this conversation was going no further.

Harry turned around so his back was against the marble stretching his arms out on either side and lying back so he could lean back rather uncomfortably, but with the sun falling across his face rather than burning his back.

_"Are you happy here?"_

_'Do I seem unhappy to you?'_

_"No… but looks can be deceiving"_

He didn't get a reply and he slowly opened his eyes and twisted his head to see what she was doing. Isillia was eyeing him curiously, her tongue flickering in and out of her mouth laconically.

_'He is a good master, he feeds me, talks to me, treats me well. Look around you, this has been my home ever since he was seven and old enough to know what he wanted for me. He used to come and sleep here when he was younger if he got scared or lonely, he even has a bed further up that his mother made for him when he went through a phase where he refused to sleep on silk.'_

Harry flushed in embarrassment, she seemed to be going off on one and he felt intrusive knowing that Malfoy wouldn't want him to know any of this.

_'He's just a child. Just like you. Too young for such worldly worries and heavy decisions. Too small. You're just children.'_ she sounded sad, and was looking at Harry with a gaze laden with a molten hurt, before she turned away from him and her coils began to stir.

_'Come out now. Too much water is bad for you.'_ He stared at her shiny scales hypnotised for a moment before nodding and swimming back to his wand and clothes.

Not wanting to wear the same clothes again, he took out his belongings from his pocket; the very few that he had and enlarged them. Going through his trunk he found himself another pair of jeans, an old t-shirt of Dudley's and a fresh set of boxers before he set out before Scourgify-ing the clothes he had been wearing earlier.

_'Don't bother shrinking them again, we can leave your things here as this is where you'll be staying.'_

He jumped at the sound of the snake behind him before yelling and picking up his towel from the top of his trunk and holding it in front of him as he twirled around.

_"What- what are you- why-look-"_ he spluttered.

She gave him a calm glare. _'You have nothing that I want' _she hissed coolly causing a heated blush to rise across Harry's face. He swallowed heavily before suddenly tossing his head and looking her straight on as he dried himself and dropped his towel on the floor. He lifted his chin and slowly got dressed as if though she wasn't there feeling very proud of himself in the end.

_'Feel better now?'_

He grinned at her, _"Much."_


	7. Running

He'd become rather dependent on his broom now that he was small, travelling by foot would just exhaust him and he was already tired out by the swimming from earlier. He placed it by the side of his trunk and then sat down on his knees and began rifling through his trunk. He had six years of textbooks stacked up tidily in one of them as he was unwilling to throw any of them out due to the sheer abundance of memories associated with them. They even smelled of Hogwarts he thought as he bent his head inside and closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

A stray piece of parchment caught his eye as he pulled out and began to close the trunk; it was his half of the parchment pair he had with Lupin. He pulled it slowly from his trunk, a brief glimmer of hope lighting in his chest; he could get out of here, Lupin! He could tell him where he was.

He turned it over and saw that the last message had been erased and instead was Lupin's tidy hand now scrawled across the page with slight tremors in the usually perfect lettering.

_'Where are you? Are you OK? Are you alive? They're going to kill me when I die. Harry! I knew I should never have let you go. Should have apparated out straight away. Merlin Harry! Promise me you're OK.'_

The words were followed by a rather interesting mess of ink where a quill appeared to have been scratched randomly into the parchment till it had broken. He felt a rush of guilt as he realised that they must all be worried sick about him, while he was sitting happily in the sun that's not actually a sun. Pulling out his quill and inkpot from another bag, he quickly scribbled down a quick answer of, _'I'm alive. I'm OK. I'm safe. Kind of.'_

Something inside him told him not to disclose his actual location though why was beyond him. Maybe he could find his own way out next time Malfoy left the house… or not-a-house-actually-a-huge-mansion-place-of-residence. The idea of the Order making a rescue attempt on the Manor when the Malfoy's didn't even know he was there seemed slightly ridiculous.

_'Where are you?'_

The reply came up below almost immediately, Lupin must have kept it with him as soon as they'd realised Harry had gone missing.

_'Doesn't matter.'_

_'What do you mean it doesn't matter? Where are you Harry? We need to get you out and safe.'_

_'NO! I'm fine and safe here.'_

_'Tell me where you are.'_

_'Safe.'_

_'You're shirking you're responsibilities Harry.'_

Harry pulled back from the parchment as if he'd been burned, 'shirking your responsibilities', the words seemed imprinted at everything he looked at, even his closed eyelids.

_'What's wrong, little one?'_

_"I'm running! I have to go back! Everyone's depending on me. Gods! I need to get back! I'm going to let down the whole world! Everything's going to collapse."_ He stopped sharp suddenly stilling as horrible thought hit him and he groaned aloud.

_"Dumbledore will be so disappointed with me."_

_'You've haven't even been here for a day' she said calmly completely unflustered by his outburst. He looked at his watch; only 7pm, it was true he hadn't even been gone a day._

_"He almost KILLED him!"_ he hissed angrily at her suddenly annoyed at Malfoy for putting him in this position. He pushed away from his trunk and grabbed the parchment and his quill shoving them into his pockets before grabbing his broom and striding away. That is; he was striding away until he suddenly found himself surrounded by cool smooth scales pressing in on him.

_'He did what he had to.'_

_"NO! You don't understand. He destroyed any chance I had of defeating Voldemort. I NEED Dumbledore and now he's gone. Malfoy will never change. He's still that arrogant little dark loving prat he always has been and I hope it kills him."_ he shouted angrily close to tears as he struggled furiously against the snake cursing and pushing violently as he tried to get away. _"Let me go,"_ he hissed finally in desperation as he collapsed weakly and let the coils support him.

When she didn't say anything he let his head flop to the side and examined the closest scale to him, watching the light bouncing off the shiny surface.

_"I'm sorry"_ he whispered softly, _"I got angry for no reason. But I really do need to get back."_

_'I know little one. However are you sure it might not be prudent to stay?'_

_"What does that mean?"_

_'Think of where you are, and think of what you need to do.'_

At the end of her cryptic answer she uncoiled and let him fall gently to the floor before pushing his broom towards him,

_'Come.'_

Obediently he climbed onto his broom and followed her as she went back towards Malfoy's room.

"Isillia? Isillia darling, where are you? I slept all day! Why didn't you wake me?" the sound of Malfoy's voice got louder and louder as they passed through the tunnel. He paused in the shadows and looked at his watch, it was already 19:30, but seeing as he's woken less than 2 hours ago he felt very awake. He realised Malfoy must have woken up a bit earlier also as he was showered and dressed and looked much better than yesterday, the circles under his eyes had almost disappeared and he was talking in between bites of an apple. Harry found himself watching entranced as Malfoy's sharp white teeth sank into the deep red apple, something about their contrasting colours had him unable to look away.

He heard Malfoy suddenly yell and topple down to the floor only inches away and his heart suddenly caught in his throat in terror as the apple rolled towards him until he realised that Malfoy's eyes were screwed shut and his teeth were bared in a mask of pain. He watched Malfoy's right hand move to push back his left sleeve as he threw his head back and gulped in huge breaths. Harry's eyes were immediately drawn to Malfoy's slim pale forearm and the harsh black dark mark that marred its perfection, currently standing out from the skin as if it were stuck on, not tattooed on. Malfoy's gasps began to soften and Harry realised he was probably going to apparate, and quickly launched his broom and flew as fast as he could to Malfoy's pocket.


	8. Ault Hucknall

A/N: OK, so this is it... my masterpiece chapter so far which is rather sad... because it's rubbish. sigh  
Don't hold it against me though, pouts  
And you'd better review. Please. Seeing as the next one is having trouble coming out (Does that sound gross or what?), I need all the... support I can get.  
OH! And I'm going to warn now, for EXCESSIVE OoC-ness. I'm _sorry!_ It's not my fault! Well... actually it is rather... but you know.  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
sigh  
Review.

Malfoy was one of the first and apparated straight into his place in the circle, strange that Harry thought… they all seemed to have their own set place in the circle that they apparated into. Maybe they practiced to get it right, after all there was no way it would be possible to just 'know' where to apparate like that… or maybe there was and Harry just didn't know it. He peeked out at Voldemort who was whispering to Wormtail at the head of the half full circle and wondered how the man could be scary, of course he would think that being safe in Malfoy's pocket where he couldn't be seen.

A few pops later and Voldemort decided to address his followers, "Welcome back my Death Eaters, less that 24 hours since I last sent for you, I do so again. But this time. No one will fail me." he said quietly sweeping the circle with his red eyes, pausing at Draco as if the last failure was his fault.

"Ault Hucknall in Derbyshire, ransack all you can. As many dead as you can." he smiled coldly before it fell off his face and he sneered; "What are you waiting for? Go! Except for you Malfoy Junior. You may stay."

Harry groaned internally, he knew he hadn't been caught, but this make things a bit riskier, besides, Malfoy hadn't done anything, and this weird obsession Voldemort had with him seemed a bit perverse.

"Ah, young Malfoy, so good of you to stay. May I offer you something to drink? Tea? Firewhiskey? Blood maybe?"

"No, Thank You, My Lord."

"You're very beautiful aren't you?"

Draco was silent and Harry could hardly blame him, what kind of question was that? He rather hoped that wasn't a pick-up line seeing as even Kreacher could have managed better.

"Careful Malfoy, I'm not the only one who has noticed. Leave." Voldemort said turning his back on Malfoy in dismissal and walking a few steps away. Harry felt the painful lurch of apparition again as Malfoy apparated away to wherever it was they were meant to be. Somewhere in Derbyshire? Oh! The idea slammed into Harry so hard it hurt a bit and left him reeling slightly. Grabbing his quill and the parchment from his pocket he stared helplessly at the broken quill before balancing the parchment on his knee and spelling the quill fixed and conjuring some ink.

_'DE attack in Derbyshire. Get help.'_

Where was the place again?

"Where are we?" he heard Malfoy ask in confusion.

"Ault Hucknall" someone said

"I _know_ that" Malfoy snapped back, "Where are we in relation to where we're meant to be going?"

_'Thank You Malfoy' _he said to himself before writing it down on the parchment and tuning out of the conversation as he prayed that Lupin still had the parchment on him.

"Split up" came the harsh voice of Bellatrix Lestrange and he felt his heart thud a little louder as the anger welled up in him once more, it was probably good he was this helpless as he was in a good mind to put his hand around her neck and choke her to death without any magic whatsoever.

His stomach twisted queasily as he realised he was going to be privy to a Death Eater attack on an unsuspecting muggle village. The screaming started almost immediately after that. Where were the aurors he wondered as he saw a door blown apart in front of him and a few Death Eaters walk in followed by Malfoy. He watched in horror as they stormed the dining room where a family of 4 were eating their dinner and didn't even pause before casting Crucio on the two children. He felt Malfoy stiffen and wondered what he had though that had made him do that. He looked out and followed Malfoy's gaze to a picture on the wall with three children and he too tensed.

Malfoy slipped away from the other three laughing Death Eaters and slid hurriedly out of the door and up the stairs before barging into every room as he passed it in an attempt to find the girl. He stopped in the second to last room and Harry could see the light brown hair of a young girl tossed across the pillow, he watched as Malfoy hurry across the room and felt dread fill him. Was Malfoy going to kill her? He had been right. Malfoy hadn't changed. Still heartless.

Much to Harry's surprise however, the spell Malfoy cast was a Disillusioning charm that made the girl disappear completely to Harry. He felt rather than saw Malfoy lean over and whisper something sharply before he pulled away abruptly and walked firmly down the stairs, pausing in the front hall to tell the Death Eaters he was going to the next house before walking out.

Malfoy stayed close to the wall so that all Harry could see was the brickwork and then slid down and pulled something towards him, the girl! Harry realised in shock. Malfoy had brought the girl out.

"Be quiet. And don't move till the screaming stops. Someone will come to save you." Malfoy whispered so quietly that Harry almost missed it.

"Are you going to kill me?" the girl couldn't have been more than three and her voice echoed a wide-eyed innocence that made Harry want to hug her.

"No, darling, but someone else might if you're not careful. Run along now you muggle."

"Is that your face?"

Malfoy laughed, a low stifled hum of laughter. "No, no!" he heard Malfoy's hand come up brushing past his robes and then the mask coming off.

"Are you an angel."

"Not usually. But today I'll be yours." He whispered before Harry heard the sound of a quiet chaste kiss just as Malfoy began to stand up.

"Stay hidden" was his last warning before he strode away towards the busier end of the street, the screams getting louder as he neared.

Harry dropped off his broom into Malfoy's pocket his head spinning as the implications of what he'd just heard sank in. Malfoy was acting very strange. Or was he? Was this the real Draco Malfoy? He would have laughed at the cheesy muggle-television-ness of the question if he hadn't been serious about it. Malfoy had just risked his skin to let a muggle girl free and then comforted her. Ok, so the girl had been slightly odd also, as she didn't appear to be half as afraid as she should have been.

The sound of multiple pops in close succession pulled Harry out of his reverie to look outside where he could see a few familiar faces appear; Tonks, Moody and possible McGonagall appeared nearby.

"It's the Order! Retreat!" someone shouted and once again the lurching in his stomach that told of apparition appeared.

-----

He decided to stay at the bottom of Malfoy's pocket this time, unwilling to risk Voldemort's anger at the relatively unsuccessful mission.

"Why, are you back so soon?" came Voldemort's cold voice surprisingly clearly.

"The Order appeared," he heard Snape say.

"And we're under orders not to fight them unless necessary," came another voice

"I know your orders. I set them, fool!" Voldemort hissed presumably to the new speaker. "How did they know we were there? We have a spy"

The silence of the circle was broken by the quiet hushed murmurings of the Death Eaters each denying their own participation.

"Silence! How dare you seem to interrupt me while I am speaking!"

Immediately silence reigned again, "Who was late?" he asked venomously in to the quiet. There was the sound of a sharp intake of breath above and Harry found himself unable to stay still anymore, grabbed his broom and flew to the top of the pocket, careful to keep in the shadow of the moon. Looking around he could see all the Death Eaters looking at him, well at Malfoy, but it seemed like him.

"Young Malfoy." Voldemort came closer his voice dripping with honey, "Are you our leak?" he asked each word laden with a spark of power.

"No, my lord"

"No? Let me take a look."

The change in Malfoy was barely visible, but his breath came in harsh guttural sobbing gasps and his hands clenched slightly tighter as he began to lean forwards as if to prevent himself falling backwards. Then as soon as it had started it was finished, what the hell had happened? Harry asked himself as he watched Voldemort smirk

"Very good Malfoy." he complemented blandly, "you are not our leak at all, perhaps I should look elsewhere."

He turned away and took his place at the head of the circle again, "Leave."

-----

Once again, Malfoy apparated to outside the mansion, swearing profusely, patting himself down and checking his hands for blood, he must have come up clean though as he began towards the front door quickly.

"Fuckwit! He was the plonker that kept me behind. Idiot. Fool. No need for the fucking mind-rape. Bastard. Bumbling wanker."

Malfoy continued on that vein until he got to his room which seemed to be miles from the entrance, no wonder Malfoy was so fit.

He threw off his robe and then disappeared into the bathroom as Harry quickly hurried out and flew to his desk.

They both jumped at the knock on the door, "Draco, its me." the sound of Narcissa Malfoy's soft voice filtered through the door causing enough distraction for Harry to hide behind a row of books on the desk. He watched as Malfoy went to open the door than propelled himself backwards to sit clumsily on the back of his bed as he stumbled over the edge of his robe.

"Hello Mother," he said rather sheepishly.

"Hello Son." There was a long silence as neither of them said anything, both looking elsewhere fidgeting just slightly, Narcissa with her hair and Draco with his hands. They really didn't seem to have the strongest of mother-son bonds if this was anything to go by.

"Why are you still awake?" Malfoy finally asked lacing his hands firmly on his lap and looking up at where his mother was hovering nervously by the door.

"I couldn't sleep... Knowing where you were and what you were doing." She had taken the opening in conversation to sit on the bed, though noticeably a fair distance away as if scared of any contact.

"Mother…" Draco drawled

"What? I'm your mother, I'm allowed to worry." Apparently this was the barrier break, as both Malfoy's seemed to lose their stiff postures and began to almost gravitate towards each other as Draco leaned back on an elbow so that he was facing his mother and Narcissa imperceptibly shifted her knees so they were pointed in her sons direction.

"Of course mum"

"Are you hurt?"

"No"

"Are you sure?"

"You'd think I'd know if I were hurt wouldn't you?"

"Don't take that tone with me! Just because your fa-"

The room became silent at the mention of Lucius, both seeming to drift off in their own worlds at the thought of him. Harry watched in wonder, how could anyone possibly like that man? It was obvious they both seemed to like him, a lot… but why? He was cruel and horrible and arrogant and 405 evil!

"You know you don't have to do this Draco."

Draco groaned loudly and flopped back on the bed throwing his hands over his face, "Mo-ther," he ground out. "We've been over this before!"

"I know dear, but you're too young for this gallivanting in the night, I don't mind you doing it when you're older but I abhor having my son come home covered in blood."

Rather than answer, Draco moved position so that he was lying face down in his mothers lap. Narcissa's face lit up into a beautiful soft smile as she ran her hands through his hair in soft stroking movements, like Draco was a cat to be petted. He made a soft sigh and turned his face outwards, his right hand creeping around her waist and curling on the bed as if ensuring she would stay where she is.

"I'd rather like to be there," he whispered softly

"Where dear?"

"There, when Potter kills the Dark lord."

"Oh?"

"Yeh, it'd be a good thing to see."

"You sound awfully sure of the outcome, love."

Draco smiled broadly than shuffled around so he was lying face up and grabbed one of Narcissa's hands.

"I've been at school with Potter for six years mother," he said as he played with her fingers, entwining them with his; stretching them out and then squeezing her hand before letting their hands fall limply by his side.

"He's going to win. I know it."

Harry felt his heart clench at the vote of confidence from an unexpected source before the fear hit him again, more pressure. Even the dark side expected him to win…

"So why are you on this side?" Narcissa asked much to Harry's pleasure, he'd rather like to know the answer to that.

"I'm a Malfoy," he answered simply as if though it was the most obvious thing. Harry watched as Narcissa looked away from Draco to focus instead on the window. Nope. Not the answer he expected either.

"If… you knew I was safe… somewhere… would you go to the light side?" she asked softly, her voice slightly broken and unsure. Draco laughed lightly, "no way! Hah! Me on the light side? The thought in itself is scandalous. No-no. I'd cause some sabotage to our side, send Potter cryptic hints about Death Eater activities. Die by the hands of with side in a loud dramatic, glorious death."

"Draco!" she chided, "This is no joking matter! You know I hate it when you talk about death."

"I'm sorry mother, " he said sounding genuinely sorry, "I've made my choices."

"Why don't you go to sleep now and we can discuss more later."

Malfoy looked like he was going to complain but then nodded meekly, "yes mother." He kissed her on the cheek before crawling under the covers in a manner unfit for Malfoy's and promptly falling asleep. Narcissa made her way to the door, pausing at his fallen robe and picking it up feeling around the front for the blood she had seen the day before. Giving her sleeping son one last look she left with the robe, 'nox'-ing the light on her way out.


	9. Alone

SO! It's NOT _that_ long a wait! WAHEY! cheers  
However it took quite a while to write because... well frankly... I HATE IT! I HATE IT! I HATE IT!  
Jumps on it till it... dies?  
Oh yeh... and it's quite long-ish  
sigh

Anyway  
Next Chapter is the _one_, the _discovery_  
Stay tuned D  
Should be posted this time next week

Once again Harry found himself waking up with the sun's ray's warming his face, he'd decided at some time not to question the idea of it being a sun and just accept it. However, this wasn't where he'd fallen asleep he realised as he looked around at his trunk and the pool that was only a few metres away. He stretched uncomfortably, he missed sleeping on a bed, even if it was at Privet Drive.

_'Morning little one'_

_"Morning, how did I get here?"_

_'I brought you'_

_"Oh. Thanks"_

_'You're welcome'_

Isillia slithered back to where she had been before and continued to bask in the sun, giving Harry no doubt that their conversation was over. Looking at his watch, he frowned in annoyance, his body clock was _really_ messed up as it was already 3:30. Sneaking a look at Isillia to check he was looking in the other direction, he stripped quickly and got into the water. He spent a lot longer floating around this time rather than swimming due to the ache in his muscles that he recognised was from the exercise yesterday, it'd been too long since he'd done any form of action seeing as at the Dursley's he pretty much just sat on his bed.

He thought over what Isillia had said, something about it being prudent to stay… maybe it would be, after all he could enlighten the Order to attacks like he had yesterday and if they arrived as promptly as they had yesterday than so many lives could be saved. The problem of course, was that it would mean he wasn't doing any horcrux hunting, or any horcrux researching and he was probably going to end up getting Malfoy in trouble. Something that he usually relished, not anymore… pity can change everything. Maybe he could just _tell_ Malfoy he was here… actually… that wasn't such a bad idea. What would Malfoy _do_? He was hardly going to turn him in, and then maybe he could do some research in the Malfoy library which would no doubt be resourceful. Not that he could open a book.

Deciding to forego further thinking, he pulled himself out of the water and sorted himself out. Checking over his Lupin-parchment, the new message caught his attention.

_'You told me you were safe.'_

He looked across to where Isillia was lazily flicking her tail, her eyes clearly watching despite her nonchalant exterior.

_'I am. Trust me.'_

_'I got you something to eat.' _his heard jerked up immediately to see Isillia with another something floating in front of her. He plucked it out of the air and examined it carefully wondering what it was.

_"Thanks!"_

He wasn't going to complain though, he hadn't eaten for ages and he was _hungry_. He broke a small piece and chewed it carefully, chocolate chip cookie, he began to eat a bit faster relishing in the sweet taste of chocolate. He finished to find Isillia watching him with her tongue flickering in amusement.

_'Enjoy?'_

_"Definitely."_

-----

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmorning Isillia," came Malfoy's slightly scratchy and mortifyingly sexy voice from the bunched up covers on the bed. A long pale arm came out from under the hanging duvet to walk long slim fingertips across the carpet. Since when did Malfoy have such long arms?

_'Morning Massster,' _Isillia replied gliding close to his fingers and brushing them with her scales, until he moved his hand slightly to run over her skin in lazy strokes.

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm" he sighed heavily before shifting and moving on the bed to poke a head of _messy_ hair out of the top of the black pile up, and lying on his front on top of the bed to lean over to look at her also.

"Slept well, 'sillia, slept very very well," he said with a light chuckle that sounded unfamiliar to Harry's ears.

_'I know master, you look well rested.'_

"How do I look?"

_'Very nice master?'_

Harry covered his mouth to prevent laughing out loud at the vain question asked merely moments after awakening, even though he was safely covered by his cloak, he would still be heard if he made loud noises. He pulled out his disillusioned Firebolt and flew back up to Malfoy's desk where he sat on a book and watched as Malfoy slid out of bed to sit next to Isillia, continuing to pet her nonchalantly.

"Know what Isillia?" Draco said in his lazy drawl as he stretched out on the floor next to her, propping his legs up against the desk, his feet only inches away from Harry's seated form.

_'What master?'_ she hissed sliding up his arm and going over him, Harry flopped back on to the book not really wanting to watch the Malfoy/Isillia interaction.

"It's been absolutely _ages_ since I last got-"

"Draco honey,"

"laid."

"Uh… mother!"

"What was that dear?"

"Nothing, I was just talking to Isillia." He sent her a winning smile as he pulled himself into a seated position.

"Draco, you know that she can't understand you, why do you indulge in this nonsense, anyone would think you have no friends."

"Oh but _mother,_ I don't," Draco sighed before pouting at her in an over-exaggerated expression that made her tilt her head upwards slightly and laugh, soft and bell-like, unlike Sirius' or Bellatrix's. In a way, they didn't seem related in his head; too different in his mind to ever have had the same surname.

"Oh? Well I believe the Zabini and Nott boys will be arriving in an hour if you're willing to speak with your _acquaintances_."

"I'll be ready."

"Make sure you eat properly, you look skinny and underfed as if though you were a Weasley." Harry stiffened at the comment; none of the Weasley's looked underfed seeing as Molly Weasley was the best cook he had ever met. The reality made him stand up angrily, he was at the _Malfoy's_, how could he have forgotten? They were the _enemy_.

-----

Harry sighed happily when Nott and Zabini left, he'd sulked angrily and Malfoy's pocket all the while, but kept an ear out in case they discussed anything interesting. Unfortunately nothing seemed even slightly out of the ordinary; apparently Zabini had a little sister that liked to wear his clothes and pretend to be a hippogriff; Nott had an unbreakable bed-wetting curse, Malfoy was mean and the Patil twins were hot pureblood property. OK… so _his_ friends never had a conversation like this, even with Luna present but these people were Slytherins; anything was possible. He needed a way out, hearing the three boys and their slightly off-colour relationship involving Malfoy pretty much _owning_ them, he felt a sudden pang for Hermione and Ron, and their not-so-perfect friendship.

As he dozed lazily in Malfoy's pocket, he wondered whether there was a spell on the Manor that made everyone tired, because the past few days had been sleep and do nothing… obviously it made sense for Malfoy to sleep seeing as he blatantly needed to heal and get rid of those dark circles beneath his eyes, but there was no reason for Harry to be sleeping at all hours. He suddenly jerked awake, maybe it was a side-effect to the spell that had made him so small. Maybe he would sleep for the rest of eternity and Voldemort would just… stay and die of old-age or something.

Malfoy suddenly jerked violently and Harry hit the wall painfully hard through the pocket. He could tell bruises would be covering his entire left side some time in the future, but more importantly Draco Malfoy was not a clumsy person and he would not have walked in to a wall.

"Well! Well, well, well!" It was a thick unrecognisable voice of someone definitely older than them and it set Harry's teeth on edge

"What do you want you clumsy fool? Unhand me this instant!" Malfoy's scornful voice said in return as he pushed away from the wall.

"I don't think so," the man said before chuckling and causing the hairs on Harry's neck to stand on end, he grabbed his broom and flew out of the pocket to look at this new foe.

"Wh-What are you doing?" It was the first time Harry had heard Malfoy's smooth voice crack so obviously and for good reason as the man was leaning right into his personal space and pressing him into the wall in a way Malfoy couldn't free himself from. He watched Draco's throat as he swallowed inaudibly but made no other action despite his obvious discomfort.

"What does it look like pretty one?" the man leered, running a stubby finger down Malfoy's face and then using it to tip his face upwards. Harry stopped flying to hover and stare in horror as Malfoy instinctively brought his hands up and tried to push the attacker away, but succeeding only in getting his hands held above his head by a larger heavier hand.

"Don't _touch_ me Nott," Malfoy hissed angrily as his eyes skittered around the empty hallway for some sort of escape. Harry was frozen in shock, he was completely helpless. Both of them were. He wondered if he could distract Nott by either flying into him or showing himself so that Malfoy could get free before a better idea appeared.

_"Isillia! Come quickly!"_ he called, desperately hoping she could hear him and cursing his inability to help; it was like the Astronomy Tower all over again.

"Now, now, _Draco_, don't fight! It's either you or your mother and you _are _the _man_ of the family now."

Harry watched with increasing dismay as the words sunk into Malfoy and the fight left him; his grey eyes opening wide, "but… but you have a wife," he whispered rather desperately. Turning as quickly as he could, Harry flew towards what he hoped was Draco's room calling for Isillia all the while. Panic rose in him as he realised he was still ages away from Malfoy's room and he was unlikely to even recognise it when he passed it seeing as everything looked the same! Doors blurred as he flew as fast as he could looking for Draco's salvation.

_'What's wrong little one?'_ Harry pulled up sharp at the sound of her hiss almost sobbing with relief as he saw the familiar zigzag pattern of her scales.

_"You have to help!"_

_'What's wrong?'_

_"DRACO! He's in trouble!"_

As quickly as she'd appeared she was gone and Harry stared at the empty space where she had been blankly, had he just imagined her? Where the hell was he? Was Malfoy-

Not bothering to think any longer, he went back to where Malfoy had been rudely manhandled with his wand out thinking the least he could do was cause a tiny fire somewhere flammable; like Nott's hair.

When he reached the empty corridor again, Malfoy had his head turned to the side, his fair skin drained of any colour it may have head, eyes shut looking like he was about to cry any second. He flew straight up to Nott's hair and cast a quick Incendio with as much strength as he could manage a split second before the man suddenly screamed loudly pulling away from Malfoy and clutching at his inner thigh where Harry could just about make out Isillia uncoiling from his leg her fangs out and dripping slightly.

Malfoy's eyes opened at the scream and he looked blankly out at the corridor before turning to the man doubled over in front of him who had just realised his hair was also on fire. His mouth fell open in an expression of delighted shock as he took in his pet snake moving towards him slowly and the fire burning before him.

"Adder venom is poisonous," he said calmly watching the screaming man with a sinisterly detached air as Nott disapparated. Almost as soon as he was gone, Malfoy sank down and held his arm out shakily for Isillia to wind around.

"That was close babe," he whispered closing his eyes and holding her close while pulling his wand out and clutching it tightly in his fingers.

_'Sorry Master, let's go'_

Almost as if though he understood, Malfoy stood up and walked to his room as if nothing happened with a distressed Harry Potter flying just behind him. Malfoy cast every locking charm he knew on the door as soon as he entered his room, checking every window, cupboard and then behind every door which took a good half hour before he let Isillia down and went to the bathroom.

-----

Harry flew up to Draco's bedside table; then dropped his broom and hid behind the small lamp as he watched Malfoy come back from the bathroom. He'd changed into a t-shirt and shorts and was holding his days clothes in his right hand as far away from his body as his hand could stretch. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Draco dropped the clothes on the floor and cast an Incendio on them; without a wand, something that Harry noted with interest.

"Goodnight Isillia" Draco whispered climbing into his bed

_'Goodnight Master'_ Harry heard Isillia hiss in return _'Worry not, I am here'_

He looked back over at Malfoy who was lying on the bed looking up at the ceiling with his arms spread. His hair was fanned out across the pillow, white upon black.

"Nox" the light went out and the room became dark aside from a small sliver of moonlight that fell through a gap in the curtains. He heard Malfoy sigh heavily before he curled up into a foetal position on his side facing the window. The moonlight fell across his face from his chin, up the side of his face into his hair. His eyes were closed and in the fading light, Harry decided he looked like an angel. A beautiful angel. A single tear ran down Malfoy's cheek, unaccompanied by a sound or movement and Harry felt his heart clench as a sudden rush of affection for the boy in front of him hit. Walking to the edge of the table, Harry looked at the gap between it and the bed; in reality no more than 4cm, but to someone only 6cm high it seemed rather intimidating. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and jumped across landing safely on Malfoy's black sheets.

He cautiously made his way to Malfoy's face, slightly put out by the vast expanse of pale flesh that Malfoy was. Jumping over Malfoy's tiny wrists, he made his way to where he could see the droplet of water near Malfoy's mouth. Standing on tiptoes, he tried to brush the tear away, only to find his entire hand soaked by the salty water. Drying his hand on his jumper he looked up at Malfoy, clear skin that seemed almost transparent, delicate bone structure that was infinitely beautiful from this close. He could see Malfoy's fair eyelashes casting perfect curves; his small bow shaped mouth, a soft pink; a few strands of his hair falling over his face; his nose and its slight upturn and suddenly it was Malfoy who seemed so small. So tiny, so innocent. He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to the underside of the pointed chin before crawling into one of Malfoy's loosely curled hands and falling into a deep dreamless sleep.


	10. Caught

He knew immediately when Draco was waking up; the hand around him tightened and he panicked wondering if Malfoy would accidentally squash him to death. The hand however did not completely crush him; but stayed a little tighter than before around his body so that he found himself unable to move. He looked over Malfoy's slim fingers at his face, still softened in sleep, a faint stripe of sunlight painted across his face where the gap in the curtains was. Stretching as much as possible in Draco's hand as he could to ease some of the tension acquired from his strange sleeping position; he watched as Malfoy's eyes fluttered open. He felt himself flush in embarrassment as he took in Malfoy's bed-hair and slightly dishevelled look; it was almost like he was intruding on a rather private moment despite the fact that Malfoy had hardly moved throughout the entire night. Malfoy's sleep fogged eyes began to focus and Harry just knew that he was being watched and he waited for some kind of reaction. However after about 2 minutes where Malfoy hadn't made a move; just continued to watch him he felt the need to break the silence.

"Um Malfoy?" he asked leaning forwards and waving his hand around in the air.

"Hello Potter." Malfoy said softly in a husky morning voice that made Harry's already pink cheeks burn an even harsher colour.

"Ummmmmmmm hi," he said frowning and leaning on his elbows over Malfoy's forefinger

"What are you doing here? In my dream? On my…_bed_?" Malfoy gave him an incredulous look than closed his eyes,

"Oh Merlin, promise me I will _not_ start having wet dreams with _Potter_ in them" he murmured much to Harry's intense discomfort; both at the comment and the bedroom voice that accompanied it.

"MALFOY!" Harry shouted

"Why are you so small Potter?" Malfoy asked squeezing his hand slightly causing Harry to turn a violent shade of red as he felt his chest being crushed and black spots to start appearing before his eyes.

"Mal-" he gasped out before he found himself unable to breathe and passed out.

Malfoy stared at his hand for a few seconds before abruptly opening it out and emptying the contents on to his bed. Awake almost immediately he scrambled out from under the covers and peered down at the tiny figure on his bed in shock.

"Pot-Pot-Potty? I mean Potter?" he muttered softly in confusion; "what are.- what the- bloody hell!" he closed his eyes and tried to breathe in deeply. Harry Potter 'mini' was lying on his bed; unconscious, at least…

"Pottttttter," his voice trembled; "please don't be dead. Potter! Please please please don't be dead!" He felt his breath coming faster and fear begin to twist his stomach into angry knots.

"Potter, pl-"

"Master Draco!"

Draco jumped at the sound of the house elf's voice; and quickly scrambled of the bed resting Harry in his hand and running in to the bathroom.

"M-M-Master?" he heard the elf ask through the door.

"Uh?" he said finding himself suddenly very flustered as he realised he had reacted rather badly; and now looked a bit foolish. Well a lot foolish; but he was hardly going to admit that to himself. "I… I uh; don't worry Oody; I just felt a bit sick that's all," he lied to the poor House elf.

"Should Oody tell Mistress?" the voice squeaked from behind the door. Draco sighed, putting Harry down next to his sink, before leaning back against the door and pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes.

"No Oody" he said

"Shou-"

"I'm FINE! Just-Just Get lost alright?"

"Yes Master Draco"

Draco heard the crack that accompanied House elf apparition and let his hands slide down his face, pulling at his skin before he took a deep breath and walked over to the sink.

_'It's OK. He's not dead. It's OK. You didn't kill him,'_ he thought again and again as he muttered a couple of spells over the unconscious form to check that Potter was still alive; and then a few more healing ones just in case.

Leaving Potter on a small hand towel next to the sink where he could rest; Draco slipped away to the other side of the bathroom to take a shower. Awake as he may be; he needed time to think. And worry. And think some more.

-----

Harry shifted comfortably, snuggling deeper into his pillow but kicking off the duvet due to the hot weather. He stretched out and rolled onto his stomach, relishing in the feel of silk against his skin. Wait. Silk? Harry went stiff and his eyes shot open as he tried to work out where he was, because he had certainly never _ever_ slept on silk before… and he certainly shouldn't have known what it felt like. Where were his glasses? Everything was a blur and all he could see was that he was in a spacious room that was mostly black and green. Sitting up slowly he recognised he was still wearing his clothes from yesterday and he wrinkled his nose in annoyance, sure it wasn't exactly top on his priority list but he NEEDED to BATHE. He looked around to see where his glasses might be; and _oh no!_ Where was his WAND?. He found his glasses easily enough on the bedside table, but his wand was nowhere to be seen. Feeling his heart start to pound a little harder in his chest he looked around in wonder. He was in a room. A proper room. That he fit in! He'd changed back! But where was he? The room didn't look familiar at _all_, it was well furnished and appeared to be made out of money. Not literally of course, but metaphorically. Of course.

"Well hello there, Potter," he recognised the voice immediately and wondered where it was coming from. In his search of the room he seemed to have forgotten to look up; because instead of a ceiling to a room, there was nothing. Well there would have been nothing if Malfoy hadn't been leaning over and looking in.

"Hello?" Harry answered nervously

"Don't sound too sure of that do you Potter?" Malfoy drawled raising an eyebrow at him condescendingly. Harry scowled up at him in annoyance, he was so vulnerable and _small_.

"Where am I?" he asked petulantly just _knowing_ he sounded a bit like Dudley.

"hmmm? My guest suite," Draco answered nonchalantly

"You-you're-?" Harry started looking around; it was all his size; as in his other size. The small size. Not the normal size. As in this size. He knew what he meant

"Guest suite. Yes," Draco continued for him speaking slowly as if though he were talking to a child.

"But. Why is it…. Is it so small?" he asked realising only afterwards how silly he sounded and blushing furiously as he looked back up at Malfoy who was now staring at him in surprise, eyes wide before he suddenly started laughing. His head tipped back slightly and his eyes closed, his mouth stretching into a soft smile, making Harry stare like an idiot.

"We always treat our guests well, it's a Malfoy thing, so I shrunk by guest suite and put it in a box for you," Malfoy explained, "Now. How about a trip to the Dark Lord?"

Harry went still and looked up at the other boy, he wasn't ready for Lord Voldemort. Not now, maybe never. He was also… tiny which was just a symbol of his impending defeat.

"I don't want to," he said with a pout looking up at Draco with pleading eyes.

"Gah! Neither do I!" Draco muttered dropping his head down so he was out of sight, "but what else can I do? Huh Potter? You're such an IDIOT! Why did you have to turn up here of all places? Why couldn't you have gone to someone else? I hate you." The last bit was hissed venomously at him as Draco's face took on an angry look and he leaned back over.

"Sorry," Harry said not sounding even the least bit sorry.

Draco sighed heavily and glared at him, "I suppose you're the reason we got caught?"

"Ummm... Yeh."

"Why are you so small?"

"I don't know"

"Clever Potter. _Very_ Clever."

"Sorry." Harry repeated once again; sounding anything but.

"Why am I even _thinking_ of saving you? What the _hell_? You've been nothing but a jerk to me and this way we'll be back in the good books again."

"Because I'm going to save you?"

"I don't need to be saved." Draco snarled angrily, before disappearing.

-----

"You're hungry." It wasn't a question, more like a command, whatever it was it broke Harry out of his reverie. He was still sitting as Malfoy had left him half an hour ago, sitting on the bed though now examining the bruising along his side from his incident with the wall.

"Ummmmmmm," he looked upwards slightly to see what type of mood it looked like Malfoy was in.

"Stop it!" Malfoy snapped, "You look like a dog."

"Are you mad at me?"

"_Excuse_ me?"

Are you _angry_ with me?"

"POTTER! We do not have a relationship in which you may ask that question."

"Yes we do."

"We do _not_! I don't know which misguided universe you live in, in which we do, but I'm not in it with you at this moment."

"Ouch! Malfoy! I'm hurt, I thought we had a perfectly wonderful, happy, working relationship!" Harry exclaimed giving Malfoy a wounded look.

"What happened to you?" Draco asked bluntly, "You're acting strange. And you're small. Why are you small Potter?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Harry yelled at Draco's bemused face.

"Alright Potty! No need to go berserk, it's very barbarian of you."

"Barbari- why you… how can you… what's wrong with- ugh."

"Yes Potter. You're _really_ not helping yourself there."

"Shut up Ferret."

"Make Me."

"Is that meant to be a pick-up? It's not working."

"Urgh, you're an idiot."

Silence ensued. Considering so much needed to be said… not very much was happening.


	11. Blood

A/N: Hey long time since I last left notes... it's because i'm shamefully lazy and I have very little to say. Except this one took its time... It really did. And I want to say now... that there's going to be a good amount of questions that _ought_ to have been answered in this chapter, but have now been pushed back into the next two. Sorry.

"What is it?" Harry asked suspiciously, warily sniffing the piece of food he'd been given.

"Just eat the bloody food Potter, or you can starve for all I care!"

Malfoy was still in a bad mood, and for some reason it made Harry feel reckless, almost scarily so. He just wanted to make Malfoy scream in annoyance, like he did at that moment in time. Here he was, stuck in a box, absolutely tiny with so much to do.

"But _Malfoy_…"

Malfoy gave him a bemused look

_"Darling…"_

"It's waffles OK? WAFFLES Potter! No poison that will rid this world of your wretched presence, JUST PLAIN OLD NORMAL ENGLISH WAFFLES!" Harry watched, absolutely riveted as Malfoy became slightly hysterical, standing up near the end and walking away to flop melodramatically on his bed; not that Harry actually _saw_ that, just heard it.

"I hate you." Draco muttered, slightly muffled by his pillow as he rolled over and stretched out on his bed, any thoughts Potter-unrelated gone from his mind. After all, the completely INSANE Golden Boy _was_ in his home… in any other circumstance he would have used this as blackmail material to get him and his family a safe passage to France or _something_, but currently all he wanted to do was sleep. Screw Potter.

-----

"Ummmmmmmmmm Malfoy?" Harry called after Draco didn't return, "Malfoy?" Maybe he shouldn't have called him darling. Why had he called him darling exactly? He should probably stop acting on these strange whims of his he realised, wondering what Malfoy had thought as he'd said it before giggling to himself hysterically.

_'Little one?'_

_"I'm in here Isillia"_

_'Are you OK?'_

_"Did you expect me not to be?"_

_'Sometimes, Master can be…'_

_"...unpredictable? I'm fine no worries. What's Malfoy doing?"_

_'Sleeping.'_

_"What? Again? Bloody hell… does he always sleep this much?"_

_'He is sick.'_

_"So what?"_ before he added suspiciously "_How sick?"_

_'I am unsure.'_

_"Can you get me out of here?"_

Rather than answer, her head appeared over the side of the box and she paused momentarily surveying the room and checking that Harry was OK, before Harry found himself floating slowly off the bed. He quickly grabbed his wand from where it lay on the floor unwilling to go around Malfoy's room unprotected despite the very little he could do with the wand. It was a strange sensation being floated with nothing to hold you, nothing like flying at all because at least with that you were in control and he was greatly relieved when he landed on the bed.

He walked over to where Malfoy was sprawled on his bed face down, definitely asleep. He sat down and leaned against Malfoy's shoulder yawning loudly before he jumped up in annoyance, he was not going to go back to sleep. Following the line of Malfoy's arm, he decided to walk around Malfoy to get to his broom on the other bedside table rather than walk across him which would be rather rude, besides the exercise should do him good. Harry stayed close to Malfoy's side, examining his long slim arm; the unmarked one all pale flesh with absolutely tiny blonde hairs. He paused at the hand, horrified to see the entire back of his hand a sickeningly purple colour with tiny scratches over the knuckles, apparently Malfoy bruised easily.

Lightly brushing the bruised skin, Harry continued walking across the vast expanse of black before he slipped on something and went sliding down the wet sheet into Malfoy's side. Wet sheets? He looked up at the sound of dripping from where he had initially slipped and watched mesmerised as something dripped from the edge of Malfoy's t-shirt; getting up he walked gingerly back and held his hand under the dripping and froze as his hand was splashed with a dark red liquid again and again. He swayed slightly leaning against Malfoy's side as the coppery smell of blood began to overwhelm him.

He climbed up Malfoy's side, slipping on the smooth skin and the blood combined until he was standing on the other boy's back. The presumably normally pale skin was now a mottled patchwork of purples and pinks, with a streak of blood dripping from under the slightly rucked up shirt. Removing his trainers and stepping carefully over the skin, Harry began to push the t-shirt up nausea beginning to rise up in him as he realised the t-shirt was wet and all the cuts across Malfoy's back were bleeding profusely.

"ISILLIA! _ISILLIA!"_ he called, his voice scratching in panic as his vision was filled with liquid red and the smell of blood rose around him.

-----

"Draco?" A knock accompanied the worried voice, "Draco? Open the door darling!"

_"Accio invisibility cloak,"_ he yelled wondering where the cloak was exactly and hoping it came fast as he jumped on to the bed.

"Draco? I know you're in there, you haven't come out for a while. What's wrong?"

There was a moment of silence as she strained to listen for any reply from her son before she pressed her palm against the wood and tried to open the door. Her wrist was beginning to burn and her breathing was beginning to quicken almost painfully.

"DRACO!" her voice was getting increasingly panicky and she cast a few spells on the door in an attempt to open it, "_Please_ Draco!" her voice was unrestrained and gave Harry shivers even through the door. He scrambled up to Draco's face and pressed himself against the boy's neck searching for a pulse, so far this was _not _going to plan.

"I will never forgive you if you're being all brave and noble on me Draco Lucius Malfoy, I _know_ something is wrong!"

The bracelet around her wrist was burning furiously, more so than usual and she knew that this time it wasn't her husband in trouble. She moved the bracelet up from where it was resting as the smell of burning flesh and the pain of it began to increase and faltered from her door banging at the sight of her perfectly smooth, flawlessly pale, soft Black skin, marred by the scorching ring of fire that seemed to be twisted around her wrist.

Unable to help herself, her free hand went around the bracelet desperately trying to tug it off as tears began to run helplessly down her face and sobs wracking her body as her struggle became more violent, the skin of her palm now also burning. Never had she expected this when she had first charmed the bracelet to respond to the two men in her life. She tumbled against the door, collapsing on the floor, mere metres away from her son.

Then the sobs were gone and Narcissa's tearstained face took on a look of strange determination as she conjured a dagger and scrambled to her knees holding it over her arm just above the still sizzling flesh before bringing it down hard against her skin.

-----

Severus Snape arrived in the Floo Hall at Malfoy Manor alone and found himself when there… still very much alone. He scanned the room for any sign of either of the Malfoy's but found it as clear as it had been on first sight. Something was definitely wrong, the Malfoy's always, _always_ had someone to greet guests floo-ing in; _especially_ when notice had been given. Not once in his thousands of visits had he been left alone in the Floo hall, never. Never ever ever. Whether it was an angry Lucius cursing the muggle fools or a glamorous Narcissa waiting with a glass of wine, even a young Draco talking non-stop about his favourite Quidditch team, _someone_ was always there. His wand immediately found its way into his hand, another new for Malfoy Manor, it seemed rather disrespectful to socialise with a prestigious family looking like you were ready to curse everything that moved.

He could see that things had changed since Lucius was taken, perfect for him to replace him as Voldemort's right hand but leaving the hugest gaping hole in the Malfoy family. He'd watched Draco struggle to cope without the strength that kept him upright and confident for over a year, seen the anger in his eyes when Narcissa was threatened, heard the shuddering sobs of despair and more recently smelt the coppery tang of blood over his favourite student's usual clean coconut-ty smell. It was the reason he was here today, not just a social visit as Narcissa had assumed.

Narcissa, well there was no balance to her anymore and it was slightly terrifying even to him. Malfoy's have always been a power to be reckoned with, but Narcissa was a Black and Black's were passionate as well as powerful often stubborn and blinded by their beliefs. He often wondered if he should persuade the Dark Lord kill Draco just to see if Narcissa would be able to do what no one had managed before and kill the bastard with her bare hands. He didn't usually think of Narcissa as an Amazon, but now the image seemed fitting, a reckless and terrifying warrior. A woman on a mission trying to protect her son as if he were two again yet trying not to smother him with the possessiveness of a Gryffindor mother, like Molly Weasley he thought sourly. Slytherins they may be, but without Lucius they were a sinking boat and both now listened to a more basal instinct with self-preservation thrown to the dogs and loyalty only to the Malfoy name. They should be so easy to convert and yet it seemed so improbable that Severus had not the patience or will to attempt it.

Loyalty to his fellow snakes however kept him returning to keep an eye on them and he walked cautiously towards the main hall of the mansion, hoping a house elf could explain what was going on. He had only just reached the foot of the upwards staircase feeling strangely out of place in its opulence when he heard her scream, a terrified, heartbroken, my-life-is-over, scream that sent his blood running cold. In all of his contemplation he'd completely forgotten.

The Malfoy's were his _friends._

-----

The door was open. The door was _never_ open; opened and closed yes, but open? No. Pureblood families tended to be ridiculously private people, even when Draco was four he'd made sure everything was bound to his magical signature only, and so his bedroom door being wide open was just plain scary. For a moment, Severus wished he hadn't woken up this morning.

He stepped warily into the room, noting the blood trail across the middle of the wood door, and the smudged red handprint on the side of it before he took in the sight of Draco Malfoy's bedroom. Inside it looked like bloody murder, literally and Severus was almost grateful he was a Death Eater and had seen all there was to see, otherwise chances are he would have either fled or thrown up by now. He seemed frozen as he looked down at the slim form of Narcissa Malfoy lying prone on the floor, leaking blood across Draco's soft green carpet, then up at the form of the Malfoy heir, Lucius' pride and joy sprawled on his front looking like someone had poured the blood over him while he slept peacefully.

He swayed slightly at the thought of Lucius and rather hoped that he would never find out. Or at least die before he did find out, no one would want to be near Lucius when he discovered his family had been brutally-

He stiffened and checked to make sure no one was looking, despite knowing that no one was there, glad that both the Malfoy's were in to position to see his assumptions, leaning over Narcissa he cast a quick healing spell on her wrist, than transfigured a table into a small bed that he lifted her on to after moving the box on it to the floor. She wasn't dead… obviously. His attention was caught by the burning on the wrist and he wondered what had caused it before he realised that the bracelet she was wearing was now burning her skin further up. He cast a charm to surround the bracelet with a layer of foam so that it was no longer in contact with her skin before turning to Draco.

"Oody!" he snapped waiting for the house elf to appear in front of him before sending the poor thing on an errand to get him a long list of potions that might or might not be remotely helpful. He carefully cast a spell to remove Draco's t-shirt, usually used for slightly different purposes, but perfectly suited for this need as well. He shuddered at the sight of the boy's back, just knowing that Draco would _hate_ it, vain pretty Draco who refused to scar. Casting a few cleansing spells he took a good look at the cuts across his back, thin but plentiful like… whip marks? He carefully pushed the boy upwards slightly and rolled him on to his side where he found his chest covered also with similar bleeding cuts, though not as severe, almost as if though they'd been healed recently.

He cleaned and healed the cuts methodically working from chest to back, trying to ignore the fact that he could no longer hear Draco breathing and that his chest wasn't moving at all.

-----

"Breathe! Breathe damn it BREATHE! I swear Draco Malfoy, if you _die_, I will… I will! Do something terrible and unforgivable you stupid STUPID idiot with _really_ soft hair." Harry hissed angrily in to the skin of Malfoy's neck, keeping an eye of Snape to insure he wasn't caught.

It was the helpless thing coming back Harry realised, hating that he might just end up leaning against Malfoy's ice cold bloodless skin just feeling the boy die. It was a strange feeling… because really he didn't like Malfoy, maybe it was just a side-effect of his amazing plan to use Malfoy to get him safely with his own, while bringing the Dark Lord down en-route failing dramatically. It was a ridiculous plan anyway, Malfoy was too gray to be used for any purpose without the guilt weighing to heavily upon his head. Too in between, too young, too close to home. Sure he was annoying, drove Harry crazy almost every time their paths crossed, but that was just his… charm. His first wizard Harry remembered, nonchalantly stroking his neck, his first proper offer of friendship he realised with a pang, his first equal enemy, his first Slytherin, his first Malfoy. It was a strange feeling that came over him, like Malfoy was his, and no one should be allowed to touch him.

He jumped at the sound of a loud crack, signalling the house elf's appearance.

"Master Snape, sir, I brought the potions you requested sir," it squeaked nervously holding out a box with assorted bottles and vials of different shapes and colours.

Snape snatched the box and immediately started ruffling through it finding a bottle of red liquid that he pulled the stopper from and poured into Narcissa Malfoy mouth, holding her head up slightly to prevent her choking. Harry's eyes wandered to the house elf staring in absolute terror at the blood that was now splattered over the room, Narcissa's, Draco's, Narcissa and Draco's.

"Why are you still here?" Snape snapped only just noticing the elf hadn't left.

"Is there anything else Oody can help Master Snape with for the mistress and young master?"

Snape paused slightly surprised by this willingness to help by the elf, before he remembered that it was Lucius who got kicks out of elf abuse and these two probably couldn't be bothered with it now they had bigger fish to fry.

"No, if I need you, I shall call," Snape said before turning and completely ignoring the elf who gave Narcissa a worried look before leaving.

WHY was everyone so worried about Narcissa? WHAT ABOUT DRACO? Draco was obviously in a worse shape, he needed the help, not Narcissa, all she'd done was slit her wrist; Draco was dying. Harry wanted to scream in annoyance wishing he could just do something before he almost did scream when he felt a wetness at his neck. He whirled automatically finding himself terrifyingly close to Isillia, much as he liked her, she was a poisonous adder and he was so small and her tongue was currently wetting his neck through the cloak.

_'He thinks Massster is dead.'_

_"WHAT? Why? Is he MAD?"_

_'Massster IS almost dead.'_

_"I KNOW THAT! So why isn't he fixing it?"_ Where was Madame Pomfrey when you needed her?

_'He thinkssss it iss too late, hurry Harry you musssst help.,'_

_"How?"_ he asked, slightly put out by her accent slippage making her sound more snake-like with her drawn out s's. Apparently her good upbringing went out of the window in perplexing situations.

_'Magic.'_

_"What spell?"_

_'No spellsssss, jussst magic.'_

_"Just magic?"_

_'Yessssss little one, you musst hurry!'_

_"I don't know how!"_ Harry was almost sobbing now with confusion and desperation.

_'Concentrate on your magic and build it up, you will find it within you.'_

_"What… what does it look like?"_

_'It can't be ssssseen, you will recognise it.'_

_"I CAN'T!"_

_'TRY!'_

Harry stared at her in fear before closing his eyes, tears trickling freely now as he tried to 'find his magic'. Regulating his breathing, he tried to think of how he managed spells wandlessly; true it didn't happen often at all, but when he did he felt the tingle of magic on him as opposed to through his wand.

_'It is not the word, but the thought.'_

The words breaking into his thinking suddenly made so much sense and he concentrated on trying to heal without confining it to a word. He'd let so many people die, and it had to end now, Malfoy was not going to die on his watch. Damn it, Malfoy had no right to die and make Harry feel even more guilty, just like him to go and die just to make life that little bit harder for Harry. Arrogant bastard. Anger suddenly thrummed through him like a wildfire making his blood boil angrily and his skin heat up quickly, thoguh this time it seemed to be combines with something tingly that was prickling his skin. Opening his eyes slightly he could see that Isillia was gone… well her head was gone, her tail was wrapped firmly around his waist and seemed to be channelling the red glow that had appeared around him, mixing with her own gold-ish glow till it was almost invisible. The red abruptly stopped and suddenly Isillia was there again

_'Don't sssssstop.'_

He nodded blankly trying to recreate the feeling and watching as the red glow enveloped his body before entwining again with Isillia's and travelling up her body which was draped all over Draco's torso and covered in his blood which was once again dripping from the wounds. After less than 30 draining seconds, he felt the muscles in Draco's throat convulse and then a hoarse cough came out of his cracked lips. He sighed with relief hoping that they needn't do much more because all of a sudden he felt drained and darkness began to tug on the ends of his consciousness. He looked up momentarily and froze when he saw Snape seemingly looking straight at him with a look of absolute astonishment on his face.


	12. Another View

Disclaimer: It's all J.K. Rowling's, i'm just borrowing it to twist and maim to my own devious purposes. No worries, she'll get them back in the end. 

Author's Notes: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAArgh! I'm expecting a serious volume of reviews for this one as we all know what kind of headache it put me through.  
sigh  
Still looking for a beta hint-hint  
Also, I know the Voldemort scene seems a bit S... dubious, but I just found myself unable to reach him and thus I tried to skim it as opposed to try and fail dramatically landing hard on my arse on Oxford Street and consequently being trampled.

Did you notice it? The 'thing'? It's definitely in there, so if you see it. Shout!

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"Draco!" he gasped suddenly his attention brought back to the boy who he once thought could be the best Slytherin to be put through Hogwarts. All of a sudden there was a flurry of movement as Snape did exactly what Draco had done earlier and cast every single healing spell he could think of on the still body. Where was Pomfrey when you needed her? Maybe he could-

The cuts were healed and sealed as quickly as his wand could manage before he conjured some muggle bandaging.  
He _would_ have proceeded to wrap the boys torso in the white gauze as tightly as possible, but something stopped him. Draco was bruising... not on his front but on his back, the back of his hands also. Strange that. It wasn't unheard of for weak purebloods to bruise easily, but Draco wasn't weak, it was possible that the bruising could be caused by the blood loss that he was obviously suffering from; but why only on his back? Mystery after mystery.

What had the house elves been feeding him? he couldn't help but wonder after he had lessened some of the bruising and begun to wrap him up like a mummy. Draco was looking skinnier than Potter after the summer holidays had passed. A fluttering of guilt rose in his throat, he hadn't even _noticed_ the change. The emotion was quickly replaced by pure rage, this _imbecile_ was the reason he was wanted for the murder of Albus Dumbledore and in the perfect position to do NOTHING!

He clenched his hands into angry fists, willing himself to not the hit the _idiot_ child. The boy coughed weakly again and Snape was moving again, unknowingly ignoring an unconscious Harry Potter leaning against Draco's chin-neck junction, and managing to make him down a few potions and extract a vial of blood for testing within a heroic three minutes and eighteen seconds.

"Oody!" he snapped conjuring up a chair between the two beds so he could keep an eye on both.

"How can Oody help, sir?" the elf asked fidgeting nervously and looking at Draco's fair hair as if having seen it for the very first time. Snape recognised the look, after all he himself had worn it the first time he'd seen Lucius Malfoy back at Hogwarts many a year ago. A look of incredulous, 'how-can-anyone-have-hair-like-that-and-not-be-a-girl'. Lucius was not a girl.

"Sir?" He found himself jerked back into the present by a loud squeaky voice.

"Just some coffee," he said abruptly turning back to the boy and checking his breathing and pulse.

-----

Harry woke up to the sound of a very familiar annoyed hiss and looked up to see Snape grimacing in pain as he clutched his left fore-arm. A sight he no longer seemed to think of as absurd. Pulling the cloak tighter around himself, he scrambled to the edge of the bed and with a 3 second countdown jumped straight into Snape's pocket.

Almost a split second after he reached the inside of the pocket, Snape's hand followed. He must have noticed the extra weight because his hand moved around the empty pocket as if searching for something. Harry backed away from the hand, praying desperately that he wouldn't be found and infinitely glad when Snape decided he didn't have time to search for whatever had fallen in. Apparating straight into his place in the currently empty circle he immediately turned to the Dark Lord, all his mental barriers as sealed and airtight as possible.

"My lord, Malfoy Junior won't be here."

"Why?"

"He's dying."

Voldemort made a slight inclination of the head that could be perceived as nod before he turned to the now full circle except the huge conspicuous gape where Malfoy's tiny form usually fit in and addressed his followers. Harry leaned back against the pocket wall in surprise at Voldemort's lack of reaction, the tiredness was beginning to burn and he wondered how long he might last before he fell asleep in Snape's pocket. He completely missed Voldemort's instructions as he scouted through his pocket for the parchment he _knew_ should be there from the last time they had communicated. By the time he'd pulled it out of his pocket, he felt the now familiar lurch of apparition as they reached the unknown destination. Hastily pulling off a sock and transfiguring it into a quill, he sat down listening hard for any clue of their whereabouts wishing he had his Firebolt once again.

_'DE Attack in'_ he stopped, listening for other Death Eaters, the first voice he picked up being Bellatrix Lestrange's that he could now recognise as if it were his own.

"Severus, this way!"

"I know the direction of The Three Broomsticks thank you, I unlike _you_ haven't been in Azkaban for the past decade or so." he answered breezily.

_'Hogsmeade.'_ he scribbled quickly before the sound of a resounding slap filled his ears.

"I," came Bellatrix's guttural voice, "don't like you." Harry's eyes widened. Had she just _slapped_ Professor Snape? Oh he would have paid to see that, and he almost, _almost_, cheered for the mad Black sister.

This time the Death Eaters barely had time to open a few doors before the Order arrived and less than five minutes later, the Ministry also.

"What's going on?" Goyle Senior shouted before he was taken down by a _Stupefy_ and taken by the aurors. Immediately the remaining Death Eaters apparated out back to their circle where they had been less than twenty minutes earlier. Voldemort was _furious_ and Harry was privileged to the sound of more than five Death Eaters get crucio-ed before Voldemort decided it was enough for the day.

"Two failed missions? How can Pureblood supremacy rule if you are failing _now?_ Find the leak and bring them to me. Whoever can bring me the traitor shall be rewarded beyond all others" he said coldly and Harry could hear the sound of some of the other Death Eaters shifting.

"Leave."

Harry felt himself fall against the opposite side of the pocket as Snape moved sharply and quickly away from the Dark Lord towards one of the Death Eaters.

-----

"McNair," Snape said silkily catching up with the other man before he left, "What would Lucius say?"  
He gave a satisfactory smirk as the blood drained from the other man's face like water in a sieve, the man's eyes flitted nervously to where Voldemort was standing and then back to Snape.

"Let's go somewhere else," McNair almost whispered in fear to Voldemort's second in command.

"Malfoy Manor?" Snape asked easily.

"No!" McNair almost groaned out much to Snape's sadistic pleasure.

"Back end of Knockturn Alley."

"OK."

The two men apparated away within seconds of each other, appearing outside a seedy rundown store at the edge of Knockturn Alley, furthest away from Diagon Alley.

"Tell. Me." Snape said in a horrible intimidating voice that made Harry shiver slightly

"It wasn't my fault." McNair pleaded helplessly.

"Oh really? I'm sure Lucius will be sure to spare you when he finds out it wasn't your fault his son is _dying_."

"Dying?" McNair squeaked and Harry wished he could see the huge man being terrified of Snape. Well Lucius Malfoy actually, but via Snape.

"That is correct, Mr. McNair, now why don't you tell me what you did?" Snape asked using his teacher mode of speech that appeared to work _very_ effectively.

"It was- It was a whip."

"I know that much, you halfwit."

McNair winced, "It was Shifter's whip, new from Spain, the one that doesn't heal."

"_Doesn't heal?_ DOESN'T _HEAL?_" Snape almost screamed in frustration, they were all mad these lunatics he had to work with, "Have you no _foresight_. Did you not _realise_ that Lucius will get out? Did you _forget_ that Draco Malfoy is _Bellatrix_ Lestrange's _nephew_?"

McNair whimpered pathetically and Harry felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Malfoy would never heal?

"Why did you do it?"

"The Dark Lord-"

Snape growled and McNair stopped with a sharp gasp before continuing, "he said-he said we could."

"He said, 'permanently disfigure the son of the wizard most prolific in Dark Art's from our group' did he?"

"No."

"Fool!"

"It does heal I think." McNair said hopefully.

Snape turned on him, "Then how, may I ask can it be 'the one that doesn't heal'?"

"It... it heals over time if... if the victim is not threatened. It's... it's made worse by mental anguish and... And... " the man trailed off and Snape leaned over him menacingly, "and?"

"imbalance." McNair whispered finally. Snape apparated away deciding to keep this information to himself, not knowing that Harry Potter had overheard everything.

He arrived at the Manor parlour and made his way back to Draco's room via the Potions lab they had in the dungeons where he picked up a few potions he knew he'd need. When he arrived at the room, the boy was still fast asleep with his snake curled up around him like a protective barrier.

He carefully reached around the adder to wake the boy up only to find a hissing and spitting snake inches from his face, fangs bared and ready to attack. Keeping eye-contact with the snake he froze hoping she would back away.

_"Isillia!" _Harry whispered from the pocket, _"he's here to help, let him wake Malfoy up and help me out."_

Isillia slowly backed away from the Potions Master and Harry floated out of the pocket and landed on the bedside table, watching as Snape eased a few liquids down the throat of a weak and limp Draco Malfoy who was not entirely awake or alive if his pulse was anything to go by. Gently settling Draco's head back down on his pillow, as if he were Lucius tending for his only heir he gave an almost wistful sigh. Lucius was going to go berserk when he found out and he hoped desperately that he could be there to watch it, Lucius may even just go and defect when he found out about Draco's Mark. He'd often caught him staring wistfully at Draco's pale forearm, scar free and flawless perfection every time it was exposed.

He turned towards Narcissa, checking her vitals and satisfied with his charges he left the gloomy Manor for his own home hoping he would get enough sleep before his meeting with Lupin the following day. Both Malfoy's would be as right as rain in the morning unless something happened in the night to 'destroy the boy's mental balance'.

Harry dropped of the bedside table onto the bed and crawled up to Malfoy's pillow, curling himself under his cloak by Draco's ear before falling back to sleep.

-----

"Potter?" Draco whispered as soon as he was awake, wondering whether he had dreamed the whole thing up when he had fallen over and hit his head, passing out from the bloodloss which was obviously what had happened here... except that he was wrapped up... which meant the whip marks and cuts had been discovered.

Snape stopped at the soft hiss from the bed and stepped back silently into the shadows wanting to see what was going on. Potter was missing and if Malfoy knew where he was, he'd be damned if he let the opportunity get away from him.

Unbeknownst to him though, Draco had caught the subtle movement and immediately changed tactics, instead playing out a dream that had haunted him long enough for him to re-create it without sleep.

"Cru-" he moaned tossing his head slightly, then quick as a flash he jerked upright in the bed with his arms thrown up over his face as if to protect it from an invisible enemy. He gulped loudly and panted heavily looking around his room as if though reacquainting himself with his surroundings. Slowly he let his hands drop to his face, slowly running his fingers over the smooth skin as if checking it was unmarked, then down his neck, systematically checking for scarring. Allowing his breathing to slow, he checked the room again, not allowing his eyes to linger on the corner where he knew Snape was hidden, then flopped back on his bed.

"Fucking Potter!" he growled loudly closing his eyes and clenching his fists, as he remembered the moments again, the split second of fear, relief and failure that had caused him to pass out on the bathroom floor.

He stilled at the sound of ragged breathing by his ear... something was breathing in his ear. No, not breathing, _sobbing._

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Harry sobbed over and over as he curled up into a ball on the pillow. The last thing he'd expected was for that to happen, there was he thinking Malfoy was awake when all he was doing was dreaming about that dreaded Sectumsempra. He felt guilt wash over him again as the reality sunk in, Malfoy had _nightmares_ about him. He was as good as Voldemort in that sense.

Snape came in promptly silencing Harry's whispered sobs, but the heavy gasping still echoed in Draco's ears and he couldn't help the small satisfaction that it was bothering Potter as much as it bothered him.

"Draco," Snape said taking the chair at his bedside.

Draco decided not to answer instead turning to look at his Potions Master with tired grey eyes.

"Tell me about the bruising."

That had been unexpected and Draco continued to stare at him, not letting the surprise register on his face, he cleared his throat slightly and Snape handed him a glass of water that he gratefully accepted as he sat up.

"What bruising?" he asked innocently, but Snape stared at him with a look that said that he knew both that Draco was lying and that he knew Draco knew where the bruising had come from. Unable to bring himself to say anything, Draco stared at him mutely.

"Tell me."

"No."

"Are you in danger?"

Draco cracked a half smile, "When am I not?"

"Don't give me that," Snape hissed.

"Someone knows," Draco said finally turning away from Snape and lying back down much to Snape's fury. Why the whiny little brat had just _dismissed_ him? Just like his father he was turning out. And he could hardly manhandle the brat to make him speak, with his stupid injuries. He left the room as quietly as he came leaving Draco to his own thoughts and eventual sleep, not once realising he had been moments from death less than a day ago.

-----

"What were you dreaming about?"

"Uh?"

"You kept screaming 'POTTER' and then you said 'Why are you so small.'"

There was absolute silence as Narcissa stared solemnly into her sons wide and surprised eyes and he in turn gazed back, mouth slightly open and completely still before his lips slowly spread into a mischievous little smile, reminiscent of the happy go lucky child who had lit up the halls only a decade ago. He bit down on his lower lip in an attempt to smother the grin growing on his face before he suddenly through his head back and collapsed on to the bed in loud happy peals of laughter.

"Mother!" he managed to gasp out in a rather shocked voice as the laughter subsided and he was left with an embarrassingly non-Malfoy grin on his face. The smile was promptly wrenched off his face as he shifted on the bed and he let out a soft moan of pain that made Narcissa look over her son worryingly and Snape stiffen where he was lurking behind the door.

"I'm OK," Draco nodded after a few seconds as he settled back into a comfortable position and closed his eyes taking deep breaths through his mouth as he tilted his face upwards to ease the flow of air into his lungs. The two Malfoy's stayed in silence each in their own contemplation of the other.

"You look like an angel when you sleep," Narcissa whispered suddenly, pulling the chair closer to the bed side and lightly fingering a few strands of Draco's hair, "fallen."

Draco opened his eyes again and turned to look at his now teary-eyed mother blankly. "I still don't know why you have black sheets, do you remember? When you were five and insisted that we change the green to black? The only person I know with black sheets."

She trailed off slightly, her eyes slightly unfocused and Draco found himself looking at her in confusion. What was she talking about? Was she going mad? The Black's did have a history of madness after all.

"I want to see your legs."

"WHAT?"

"Your legs Draco, let me see them."

"NOOOO!"

"I'm your mother Draco, and I want to see your legs!"

"I don't want to- How did you do that?"

"Magic."

"Teach me! Teach me teach me! What was that spell? Mother! What was that spell?"

"No, no, you're much too young for these types of spells."

"Mother! I've been legal for OVER a year!"

"Yes well, I'm your mother and I really don't want to know."

There were a few moments of sulky silence before Draco decided to talk, "can I have my trousers back then?"

"Oh! Of course!"

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yes."

"... What were you looking for?"

"Doesn't matter honey."

"Mother. You just climbed onto my bed and _stripped_ me and you think 'doesn't matter honey' is going to cut it?"

Narcissa gave him a long level look that showed not an inch of swaying and then told him to go to sleep as she picked up a random book from the bedside table. She sat pretending to read for a long time as she kept an eye on her son, he was acting very strange. Much as she loved to see him laugh so freely, it was too foreign for her to accept, hopefully it was just a side-effect to the potions.

-----

"Isillia darling! It's raining!" Draco exclaimed looking out of the window at the sound of soft patters of rain droplets against the building. He'd been lying on the bed, looking blankly at the wall for the past few hours worryingly unable to focus on any one thought or topic.

_'Yes Master, it is.'_

Harry watched as Malfoy looked out of the window wistfully with luminous grey eyes before he suddenly picked Isillia up and left the room still in his pyjamas. Grabbing his broom, he flew after them not wanting to be left behind in the gloomy room that smelled of healing potions and blood despite the House elves greatest efforts. He flew close behind, pushing his limits to keep up as Malfoy seemed to glide through the dark corridors at an inhuman speed, before taking a staircase down that Harry had never seen before. The boy stopped before the huge clear windows that covered one wall of the large airy room that seemed devoid of furniture.

_"Where are we Isillia?"_

"Potter?" Draco suddenly asked turning around away from the windows where he was looking out on to a huge meadow sized lawn that was currently being drizzled on by ominous black clouds.

"Yes?" he replied pulling off his invisibility cloak to show himself hovering in the air beside Malfoy, though facing the opposite direction.

"Don't drown," Malfoy whispered meanly with a satisfied smirk before he whispered a spell that threw the windows that actually turned out to be doors open simultaneously with the first rumblings of thunder allowing the empty room to be ravished by the elements.


	13. The Calm Before The Storm

A/N: This would be a good time to tell you... that the next update could be a _long_ time coming. I need to pack all my stuff... move into University Accomodation... settle in... all that stuff... I promise to update as soon as I can .As I told my amazingly wonderful brilliant beta (newly discovered) Ky, I can't explain this chapter. It's... strange and I love it... Not much happens at all and yet its rather long... It's been in my head ever since I walked home from work one day to the setting of an AMAZING Sunday Summer storm, and I thought _'Heavens! I love this country!'._ It was so 'Kindle my Heart' from 'A Little Princess' and oh so beautiful. I'd like to take this moment to remind you... that I _love_ the Malfoy's and that explains this chapter... hopefully.

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Water thundered down from the sky in huge droplets, splashing against the stones and soaking into the earth. With a loud whoop that suggested he'd completely forgotten that Harry was even there, Draco put Isillia down and ran out into the garden. Harry struggled to stay aloft as the wind whipped through the room, slamming his broom around until he no longer had any control at all. His relief was palpable when he found himself caught in a bubble that wasn't affected by the weather and he sent Isillia a thankful smile to which she merely gave him a flash of fangs before following Draco into the garden. He climbed off his broom to fall on to the bottom of the bubble, glad to see that it didn't break with his weight, before wondering how he had manage to become so trusting of a snake.

He cast a drying charm on his clothes before pulling off his glasses and wiping them on his jumper.When he'd said he needed to bathe, this wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind. He looked out at where Malfoy was now standing in the rain, soaked to the bone, his black t-shirt stuck to his body like a second skin and his shorts hanging a bit lower than they should be due to the extra water weight. Harry shook his head worriedly; he was just going to make himself sick with a cold if he stayed out there.

Draco turned his face upwards to the clouds feeling the water splash against his face in biting droplets that stung his skin and seemed to wash everything way in an obscure cleansing ritual. The water was cold and refreshing, much like the wind buffeting against his body, so different to the stifling summer that had hit England the previous year. His eyes turned suddenly to the manor, his home, and he grinned happily running back inwards; his bare muddy feet left a trail of water as he ran through twisting corridors to the room where he knew his mother sat during the day.

"Draco!" she exclaimed standing up and dropping her book on the floor as her son threw the door open dripping water and mud over her immaculate floor looking like a wet rag doll. He stumbled forward and caught hold of her wrist, pulling her with him as he went towards the back of the Manor. She followed meekly, remembering how easily she had been tugged along by her spoilt son when he was younger, pulling on her skirts, her arms, her legs, her cloaks, her robes, anything that his strong young hands could grip. And now she looked at him, a skinny little boy looking absolutely nothing like her Lucius at all. His clothes sticking to him accentuating his undernourished state and his grip greatly weakened. She looked down at the hand curled around her wrist; she could see the bones in his fingers where the skin was pulled tight over them, the delicate structure of his wrist under translucent white skin. This wasn't what her boy should have grown up to look like, to be. He was meant to be slightly golden, tanning like he used to after hours playing in the sun; he was meant to be sturdy, muscle and strength from good eating and exercise; he was meant to be refined, polite and calm like Malfoy's should be. He wasn't meant to be this beautiful, she thought, looking up at his thin face, cheeks flushed and long hair flattened over his eyes dripping water everywhere.

He hauled her out on to the stones and left her standing there looking out at her perfect gardens being attacked by the wind and the rain, her son standing in the centre of the grass, arms out spread looking skywards. She found herself walking towards him unwittingly and only when she felt the mud beneath her feet did she realise that she; Narcissa Malfoy nee Black was standing in her garden without any shoes on, in a full black skirt that was now clinging to her legs during a thunderstorm. If her mother could see her now… she walked forwards regardless until she was standing in front of him and watched as he lowered his eyes until they were looking straight into hers and for a split second she thought her heart almost fell out. Because the eyes looking at hers were not tinged with madness, nor were they clouded with the hazy after effects of Potions.

A slightly pained expression covered his face momentarily, "Mother," he said simply though the word was loaded with meaning. She gave him a weak trembling smile and he threw an arm around her waist with an exuberant smile and twirled her around with him in a parody of every dance step she had ever taught him. And for a few minutes, she forgot: forgot that her husband was in prison, that her son was dying, that her sister had gone mad, that she was murderer, that her life had fallen apart around her, that her legs were now covered in more mud than she had ever come in to contact with in her life. With the sound of rumbling thunder, splashing rain and her son's comforting laughter she let herself fall.

And fall she did, as both Malfoy's toppled into the grass that was now more brown than green. Feeling more than a little bit bruised she turned to Draco finding him flat on his back his right hand over his left arm squeezing it tightly as if by decreasing the blood flow, the pain would go away. She looked at his arm as if frozen until she felt his fingers under her chin forcing her up to his face, skinny brittle fingers under her chin, cold and wet and she let the tears fall from her eyes knowing he wouldn't see them for all the rain falling on their faces.

"Don't go," she whispered softly closing her eyes as the cold began to seep into her skin making her suddenly feel very cold, her clothes sticking to her in an uncomfortable manner, the mud on her legs making her inwardly cringe. Arms were suddenly around her, cradling her like Lucius would have and then a soft whisper in to her shoulder almost drowned out by the rain of "I'll be back."

His hand suddenly snatched to pick something out of the air beside them and she turned to see what was there but found nothing except falling rain. Her eyes moved to his hand but he was already on his feet extending the other hand to help her up. They both walked back to the parlour that now had a small lake on the stone floor, water on the walls and muddy footprints leading back into the mansion.

With not enough time for him to get changed, Narcissa cast a cleansing and drying charm on Draco before leading him back through to her little room where she pulled out a black robe for him to put on and then tentatively opened a drawer and took out a Death Eaters mask. She closed her eyes holding it tightly in her hands before closing the drawer and turning around to Draco who had after a bit of a struggle managed to remember how to put on robes, carefully dropping Harry into one of the pockets when it was on. He gasped when he saw what was in her hands.

"Mother," he shook his head and stepped back, "I'll just run up and get my own or-or a house elf can. Or..."

She stepped closer to him, sighing as she placed the mask over his face and the sides bound magically to his skin, "Your father would never have wanted you to have this," she said wistfully stroking his cheek, running her fingers over the bottom edge of the mask over his nose to the other cheek before dropping her hand and turning away to sit back in her chair, retrieving her book from the floor and pretending to read it as if nothing had happened.

Draco stared at her for a moment before Apparating from the spot, completely forgetting he had no shoes on.

-----

Draco was the last to Apparate into the circle, arriving almost after Voldemort had started speaking to his followers thus making himself the centre of attention. He staggered slightly on his feet as the blood rushed to his head and his right hand came out to balance himself on something, landing on Hugo Crabbe's arm who appeared not to notice. Righting himself as gracefully as possible, he stood as part of the circle as if though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Voldemort had almost immediately turned to talk in quiet tones to Snape when Malfoy had Apparated in and had now turned back to face the Death Eaters sparing Draco an extra long almost pleased glance.

"Shifter, tell me about the current state of the Ministry."

The Death Eater in question was a confident sturdy man who seemed to be unafraid of the Dark Lord, but then again Snape didn't seem scared and neither did Malfoy in the few times he'd seen them interact, though that could be because of Malfoy's obvious death wish. The man droned on about some man they had in there, but Harry wasn't listening because he'd found something in this robe that did not belong to Malfoy. Well it did belong to a Malfoy, just not his Malfoy. It was another small piece of parchment rolled up the pocket, must be a wizard thing he thought remembering the parchment that seemed not to leave his pocket. Pushing this one open with his body, he lit his wand to look at the tall words; similar to Draco's in that manner and yet different.

To Do

1. Customised broom for Draco's passing O.W.L's present

2. Portkey for Narcissa's shopping trip to Paris (21st May)

3. Buy Draco Birthday Present

4. Break into Dept. of Ministries

5. Wind up Arthur Weasley

6. Buy shares in Witches Weekly

7. Have a little _chat_ with Rita Skeeter

Harry stopped reading when he heard Malfoy gasp slightly and he immediately flew up to see what was going on, but he could see nothing out of the ordinary for a Death Eater meeting and he wondered whether he had missed something important, but now a stuttering female voice was talking about breaking communication links. He heard Draco gasp again and looked up to see a hand brush past him up towards his face and then -

"Atsch," it was a small sneeze, expected of a Malfoy, with a lot of force apparently because Malfoy swayed precariously, one hand clutching his head before he fell forward in a dead faint. Harry saw Snape's hand go out as if to stop the fall, but from so far away he could do very little and Harry braced himself for the impact. Malfoy didn't hit the ground however, because Crabbe Senior had been watching and had caught the boy before he could topple and hurt his perfect Malfoy features.

The entire circle was now staring at Draco and Harry couldn't help but wonder when Malfoy wasn't the centre of attention. There was a long silence as the cut off woman stood with her mouth half open looking at Lord Voldemort nervously.

"Take him," Voldemort said sharply with a flick of his wrist, turning back to the woman who had been speaking. Snape strode forward to take Malfoy from Crabbe when Voldemort suddenly turned to look at them.

"No," he said with a strange smile, "not you Snape."

Snape and Crabbe stilled, looking at each other over the still slightly wet blonde hair before Crabbe nodded slightly, "I'll take him, he grunted before picking Draco up as if he were a rag doll. He started slightly at how light the boy seemed before his eyes caught on Draco's bare feet.

"Well?" Snape asked in a huff of annoyance, before he saw where Crabbe was looking and he too found himself staring at pale feet in the dim light. With a loud pop, they were both gone and Snape moved back to his place in the circle his mind whirling. Draco didn't have shoes on? When did Draco ever go anywhere not looking immaculate?

-----

Crabbe Senior Apparated to the front door of Malfoy Manor as he had many times in the past, welcomed by the sound of rain falling in sheets against the mansion and the loud rumblings of thunder. A small house elf opened the door, gasping and muttering about young Master Malfoy before leading him up the stairs and through multiple corridors to the boy's wing. He carefully set him down on to the bed and took the seat beside it, waiting dutifully for someone else to appear and tell him to leave.

"Hugo."

"Narcissa," he answered dutifully to the familiar voice looking up to see Lucius' wife enter with a snake curled around her forearm. She took one look at her son and he saw her fair skin lighten even more, her eyes fluttering slightly as she tried to prevent the tears, before she suddenly became the image of control once again. Carefully removing his outer robes with a spell, she hung it over her arm as she began to idly move books on the bedside table till they were stacked into a perfect aligned row.

"He's not been well," she said into the silence and Crabbe merely nodded. Neither of them had been well since Lucius had left but he wasn't going to say anything. Neither did he say anything about Draco's bare feet or the fact that he had been wearing night clothes under his robes or the smudge of mud across Narcissa's collarbone. He could see she was desperate to know what was going on, but she held herself together and was the soul of courtesy, offering him a drink, something to eat, the perfect Malfoy wife.

When Snape arrived, the sound of billowing robes as he entered the room was his only warning, Crabbe found himself greatly relieved. For beautiful and clever as Narcissa was, the tension was mounting and a man like him could never occupy a lady like her, just as she could never entertain a man like him. Together they sat in a room with only Lucius between them and yet with Lucius so far away, there was nothing, nothing that could link these two people together in conversation of any type.

"Narcissa, will you get me some of the blood replenishment from the laboratory? I left it to simmer this morning so it should be fine now."

Narcissa nodded, infinitely grateful to be given the opportunity to leave without seeming rude and went from the room silently. Snape cast a few charms to check Draco's vitals, wondering how the brat had managed to get a cold before remembering the bare feet and the storm still raging outside not to mention the muddy footprints he thought he saw near Narcissa's entertainment room.

"Why did you do it?" Snape suddenly asked turning to Crabbe over Draco's unconscious form.

"For a moment… I thought he was Lucius."

Dedication: Hugo Crabbe was named due to strange-ness and cute-ness on the part of my beta and her husband. D.


	14. Tentative Reachings

A/N: I am, SO SO sorry. I am so sorry. I cannot even describe the depths of my contrition. I just stopped and I know I don't deserve forgiveness or reviews or anything, but please know, that I am truly very sorry.

It wasn't an active decision, it was just that with university and everything, I got caught up and well as you can tell, IJASB became insignificant. I didn't even remember or notice what I was doing, and then one day when I was starting to sort out my revision (I have exams till May 17th) I came across a scene from way into IJASB future and suddenly all my dreams and hopes for the plot came flooding back and since then, I haven't been able to sit still for the range of scenes writing themselves in my head.

And so, I'm trying again. Starting afresh with old stuff, half-formed paragraphs with no future.

I'm sorry!!!!!!!!!

Please don't let the above comments prevent you from reviewing!

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"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You smell of blood."

"It's not mine."

-----

When Draco woke up, he was alone in his room with Isillia's tongue flickering gently against his right forearm.

"Malfoy," he heard a voice say very quietly near his ear in an oddly familiar voice.

"Hmmmmmmmmmmm?" he questioned rolling over and burying his face in the welcoming comfort of his pillow.

"Uh, are you alright?"

He stiffened, eyes opening to look at the black pillow cover before turning back to the voice that he knew. Sure enough, there sitting cross-legged at the end of Isillia's tail was a tiny Harry Potter looking at him through black round spectacles with a wary look on his face.

"What do you care?" he asked putting on his well practiced sneer and narrowing his eyes at the small boy, watching with satisfaction as mini Potter swallowed reflexively and leaned closer towards Isillia. He felt the churnings of rage rise up in his chest as he watched, because this was Isillia, honorary Malfoy, his snake not Potter's.

Almost as if she knew what he was thinking, she glided forward towards him and began to slide up his back.

_'Always yours'_

"What does that mean?" Harry asked in confusion watching as his only support in this strange and lonely house left without so much as a backwards look at him or a word of acknowledgement.

Ignoring his fascination with Potter's use of the snake-language, Draco sat up towering over Harry and glared angrily, "Stop it."

"What?"

"Don't talk to her."

Choosing not to anger Draco further, Harry merely nodded his consent to the command and continued to look up at the Malfoy heir who seemed to be back to his usual self.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"Turn me back to normal size?" Harry asked trying to give him a confident, unwavering look. For some reason, the look Malfoy gave him was one of uncertainty as the sneering face creased into a frown.

"I... I tried?" Malfoy said as if unsure of himself before he recovered, "Finite and engorgio didn't work and I don't recognise the spell."

For a moment, Harry stared blankly upwards before jumping to his feet in shock, "WHAT? WHAT? What do you mean it didn't work? Aaaaaaaargh!!!!!!!!" He flopped back down on to the pillow as panic began to set in causing his entire body to thrum with magic. How was he ever going to accomplish anything at this size? Horcruxes, Voldemort, everything was beyond his reach. Curling himself into a tiny ball, he clenched his eyes shut and fisted his hands desperately trying to stop the tears threatening to fall.

"Potter..." Malfoy's wary voice said suddenly seeming a bit further than he had assumed it would be. The bed shifted dramatically as Malfoy moved away very quickly, throwing Harry out of his foetal position and out on to the bed sheets.

"What are you doing?" Malfoy asked eyeing the green glow around him nervously from safely by the bedroom door. Harry opened his eyes to find everything tinted slightly green and immediately uncurled and stood up in alarm. Almost immediately the green began to fade until there was nothing there.

"Nothing?" Harry said, uncertainty colouring his voice.

"You just started to _glow!"_

"Malfoy, I swear I won't do it again."

Not bothering to answer, Malfoy used a _Wingardium Leviosa _to float Harry into his shrunken guest room and then warily followed. This entire situation was too surreal.

"What's a horcrux?" Draco asked suddenly

"I smell," Harry said quickly and efficiently changing the suibject as he sat on the edge of the bed

"What's new?" Draco drawled lazily looking up from where he was running his finger's over Isillia's scales before indicating a door with a finger, "bathroom's through there."

"You're not going to watch?" Harry asked nervously craning his head upwards to try and look Draco in the eye.

"Potter…"

"Right. Of course. Right."

Just to make him feel better, Draco put the lid back on the box before settling back down to read a magazine.

-----

"Master Draco, Mistress is sending Oody with breakfast," Oody said as she popped into his room with a tray laid with a full English Breakfast.

"Now???" Draco asked looking at his watch, "it's almost lunchtime!"

Oody flinched, "Is Master upset? Oody sorry, BAD-"

Now Draco flinched, "ALRIGHT! OK-ok, bad Oody, whatever, it's fine. I'll have breakfast." He clutched at his hair, feeling his face heat up drastically and his head begin to pound relentlessly.

"I'll just take a nap," he said loudly to the room before stumbling over to the bed and collapsing on it weakly.

Harry looked up at the commotion from the squeaking house elf and flew up to see what was going on. Malfoy was sleeping again. He sighed heavily looking around for something to keep him occupied while Malfoy slept. Maybe he could escape… except he didn't want to. Somewhere in the past few days he'd found himself bound to Malfoy and the Gryffindor in him wanted to trust him, convert him, save him.

_'Isillia?"_ he asked in to the room not seeing where she was.

Rather than answer, she slithered in to view and then indicated that he follow her while she went back through her tunnel to the fountain.

_'What are we doing?'_ he asked as she levitated a few of his belongings and went back to Draco's bedroom.

_'You're moving.'_

_'Oh… right.' _he replied as he helped her move his stuff back to his new room without any comment already accepting that his stay would be as long as it took to make Draco come back with him.

-----

"Do you want some tea Severus?"

"NO! I do not want some tea you bafoon, how could tea be remotely helpful? WHERE IS THE BRAT?"

"I don't know, but shouting isn't going to make finding him any easier, now sit down and have some tea. I have news."

"What kind of news?"

"He's definitely near the Death Eaters, is there one of them who could have a different agenda to the rest?"

"I imagine everyone has their own agenda."

"Could of them be harbouring Harry?"

"No. How do you know he's near the Death Eaters?"

"Look."

"You're showing me a blank parchment."

"Oh."

-----

"I know you don't want to be a Death Eater," Harry said suddenly breaking the pleasant silence that had fallen between them after Draco had woken up.

"Don't speak, Potter," Malfoy said shortly in reply.

"But-"

"No."

"What can I give you to make you help me?" Harry asked plaintively, desperation colouring his voice. Draco stared at him, Harry Potter was asking for his; Draco Malfoy's, help. What did he want in return? The question of helping for some reason didn't even appear in his head, it was granted. The problem of course was choosing a suitable reward for the trauma he was no doubt going to go through as a result, the danger to his family and the sheer horror of having to put up with the mini-Gryffindor. Finding Harry now biting his lip very nervously looking very much like he was going to grab his broom and fly away, he quickly snatched the boy up in his hand and swept off towards the library.

"You owe me," he said firmly setting the terrified boy down on the table before turning around to scan the books behind him.


	15. Lucius

A/N: You may notice that this chapter is a) REALLY short and b) slightly... _different  
_a) is because of b). D  
Now. I have exams til the 17th, so I won't be posting for a while (not that you really expect me to be, what with my horrendous track record)  
However, once I get myself sorted out, I promise to find myself a writing rhythm for the summer.  
AND! I would like to thank GreenEyedCatDragon, MoonlightPrincess, Ravenshadow, Lances and avihenda for the reviews. It's beena lnog time and they made my heart warm a little to know I haven't scared everyone away!

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He woke up feeling disorientated and confused, where _was_ he? Coldness whirled around him in a strange grey mist, sinking into his skin from all directions and he shuddered. Lucius Malfoy should not be in these circumstances. Somewhere along the way he'd done the wrong thing, followed the incorrect path, made a mistake, fallen victim and in doing so brought the entire Malfoy machine to a grinding halt. He _knew_. He could see them, Narcissa and Draco, see them breaking, changing and reforming into foreign beings. Sometimes it felt like he was there, carpet beneath his feet and blonde hair in his hands. Sometimes he felt like he was miles away, watching them eat silently in the dining room or read in the garden.

At first they had been fleeting images in his sleep. Dreams. Dreams that had landed him in isolation for weeks on end as he screamed bloody murder at any number of the villains that appeared in his visions. Dreams that had him waking up with bruised hands and blood dripping from his shoulder blades. Dreams that had him sobbing even when awake.

They thought he'd gone mad. He knew they did. They didn't understand why Lucius Malfoy had lost control without a Dementor in sight, but in turn they hadn't seen their only son take the Mark they'd tried to save him from since he'd been born. They hadn't seen him take his lashings without making the slightest of sounds. They hadn't seen him crawl into their study before passing out. They hadn't seen their wife go sobbing to _someone else_ for help. They hadn't seen their family wandering lonely corridors night after night in hope of some relief.

The cold disappeared and he was standing in a street that seemed… familiar? Italy, he recognised it the moment he turned and found himself looking into Narcissa's terrified blue eyes. They'd been staying with relatives in France for a few months and had decided to take a week in Italy before going home to find Draco a tutor, not that he'd really needed one.

"Where's my baby? Where is he? Lucius!?!"

"Narcissa!" he says sharply as he's brought back from his mind wanderings and despite his own rising fear, "calm down."

She's clutching at her wrist anxiously, her eyes wide and whether she's doing it knowingly or not, she's leaning into him for support. He's looking around the busy street for any sign of Draco's still golden hair.

"PAPA!!!"

Narcissa stiffens beside him, her head turns towards the sound just as his does, both looking for their four year old son.

"NO! NO! Let _GO!_ PAPA!!!"

Somewhere behind him, he hears Narcissa let out a small scream but that doesn't matter because he can see Draco now.

"PAPA!" Draco's spotted him and he's not punching his captor in the face anymore, instead stretching his hands out towards him. He immediately responds, rushing forwards with his arms outstretched just as he did those many years ago, but this time instead of clasping his son in his arms, he finds himself further and further away.

"Draco!" he's shouting for him, but his son is being taken away and he can't do anything about it.

"'Cissa," he whispers when he finds himself looking at his heartbroken wife sobbing brokenly with pain and disappointment. She disappears, the same way Draco did and then there's a shooting pain through his body so he doesn't even feel the regret. As the Healers rush in, his vision clouds with black and Lucius feels the cold floor connect with his head even though he doesn't remember falling.

Somewhere along the way, Lucius Malfoy had made a terrible mistake.

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Goodbye! Be well! Send me a review! I do love them!


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